Forced Vacation
by Jarlyfan626
Summary: The leverage team hasn't had a day off since before their stint in Juarez which is wearing especially hard on the retrieval specialist.  Attempting not to let the team down Eliot tries to keep pushing himself past his limits.
1. Chapter 1

They had just gotten back to the apartment after wrapping up another case that involved resorting to plan C; the one where Eliot took a beating to ensure the safety of his teammates as Hardison and Parker finished the heist and Sophie entertained the mark.

"Are you okay?" Nate asked Eliot as he threw him an ice pack.

Eliot grumbled as he caught it and slouched back on the couch.

Nate knew enough to take that as a yes. "Tomorrow Sophie and I have a consult downtown. Rest up, and we'll meet back here at 10am."

"Are you serious?" Eliot shot up in disgust.

"Yeah, man, I'm with him." Hardison spoke up. "Look, I'm all about righting the wrongs of this world, but we have not had the time to kick back since before Juarez."

Nate took a sip from his coffee mug. "I know. I know, and I'm sorry, but this is important."

"They're all important." Eliot rolled his eyes.

"Nate, you are getting pretty obsessive about this." Sophie acted as the voice of reason.

"And even creepier than normal." Parker added.

"Just this one more, and then I promise you will get some vacation time."

"Fine." Eliot huffed and got up. He felt his body dragging more than it should after a five on one attack from rent-a-cop security officers. He figured even if he only slept his typical 90 minutes he might as well go home and rest up as advised.

"Where are you going?" Parker followed him to the door.

"Out." He answered simply.

"Do you want to repel from a rooftop with me?" She asked with a crazy grin as her adrenaline was still pumping.

"There's something wrong with you." Eliot shook his head and opened the door.

"See ya tomorrow, man." Hardison held up his hand. Eliot responded with a brief wave.

"Would you like to take the harness for a test drive?" Parker asked Hardison instead.

"No." Hardison laughed. "But if you're still buzzing we can hit a flick or something."

Parker gave an indifferent shrug and followed him to his van. "There's not going to be any aliens in this one, are there?"

"I'm not sure." Hardison lied.

"They're not real, right?" Parker inquired. Their voices faded; Nate and Sophie were left alone in the apartment.

"You don't really think I'm obsessed…?" Nate posed to her.

"I think you've traded one addiction for another." Sophie confessed.

"They would tell me if it was too much." Nate stated for his own benefit more than anything else.

"I believe they just did." Sophie responded and felt it best to leave him to his own contemplation. "I'll see you tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hardison, I need you to pull up any information you can on a Damiano Moretti; He's the CEO of a major coffee import…" Nate requested from his cell as he drove back to their make-shift headquarters.

"Coffee import? That's original." Alec Hardison laughed as made the very obvious assumption.

"Why are we interested in coffee?" Parker asked leaning in on the phone call.

"It's not the coffee we're interested in." Sophie answered through the speaker phone. "Our clients lost their seventeen-year-old daughter to the hidden cargo and are looking to us to shut the enterprise down."

"A drug bust? Isn't that the job of the local po-po?" Hardison questioned.

"No." Nate answered. "The cops are looking the other way on this one. Moretti has done a good job of making the business look legit and I wouldn't doubt he has his men within the station."

"Whoa, whoa! Hold up." Hardison reacted to the information on his computer screen. "When were you going to mention his ties to the Italian mob?"

"I was getting to that." Nate assured him. "While you're looking into his financial accounts I need Parker and Eliot to do some surveillance at the shipping dock."

"There's a slight problem in that plan." Parker said through the receiver.

"What's that?" Nate questioned.

"No Eliot." Parker answered simply.

Sophie looked at the treasured watch she had adorning her wrist. She knew that she and Nate were running behind after the meeting, and it was like Eliot to be late.

"Have you tried calling him?" Nate asked Hardison and Parker.

"About three times; no answer." Hardison replied. "I just figured that maybe he took the bike out for a ride. He seemed in a foul mood last night."

"Crankier than his typical grouchy self." Parker added.

"Right. Okay, just dig up what you can. I'm sure he'll show up." Nate responded. He had picked up on that same vibe but Nate prided himself on knowing his team and Eliot didn't have it in him to let the team down. He was their protector, and he took that role seriously.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Sophie admitted after the call ended. Something in the pit of her stomach was screaming out to check on him.

"Sophie, I'm sure…"

"I can't hurt to swing by his loft." She pleaded.

"I'm not so sure about that." Nate quipped. He was quite certain that being an uninvited guest in Eliot Spencer's home could result in a world full of hurt.

"Nate, please?" She responded seriously.

"Okay." Nate submitted as he turned the car around to head towards the rouge member's residence. "Don't tell me I didn't warn you."

They showed up and Sophie marched quickly to his door to an unrelenting assault on the doorbell.

"Okay, okay…" Nate pulled her back. "If he hasn't answered yet, he's not… What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for a key." She responded searched the door frame for anything. Nate shook his head.

"I highly doubt he has a hidden key outside his loft, and with the enemies on his list this thing is probably dead bolted."

"Fine, then we'll do it the Eliot way." Sophie said studying the hall.

"And that is?"

"There." Sophie pointed for Nate to retrieve the fire axe.

"Sophie… no." He objected.

"Fine then I will." She stormed away from him.

Nate hated the way she could always rope him into doing whatever she wanted, but that was the trick of the Grifter, it's what made her the best in the business. He used his elbow to break the glass and following her instincts he hacked at Eliot's door until there was a hole big enough to reach his hand through and unlock the deadbolt.

"Eliot, are you in here?" Sophie carefully entered suddenly struck with the thought that maybe Nate was right and this wasn't the best way to approach the hitter.

"You know, it's up to you to replace the…"

"Shhh!" Sophie hissed finding Eliot wrapped up in his bed. Carefully she extended her arm out. His skin was pale; she hesitated to make contact.

"He's breathing." Nate assured her standing over her shoulder as he watched the slight rise and fall of his chest.

"He's burning up." Sophie replied as she gently attempted to persuade him awake. "Eliot… Eliot, wake up!"

Nate's heart sunk as he realized it wasn't happening that easily. He pulled out his phone and started parking orders. "Hardison, I need you to come up with alias' and a cover story."

"Wh… what's going on?" Parker asked.

"Dude, is he okay?" Hardison added.

"I don't know." Nate replied. "Sophie, go find some towels to soak in luke-warm water."

"Nate?" Parker questioned.

"Work on those alias'. I mean it! If an enemy catches wind that Eliot Spencer is vulnerable…" Nate couldn't finish the sentence. "And if we're going to be allowed access to him then we need to convince the hospital that he's family."

"Nate, the hospital staff knows you." Hardison warned and then went on to explain the cover. "Kyle Eliot is your volatile half brother. Your relationship has been tenuous since he came to town and dropped the bomb of your mother's secret affair; he's made no bones about the fact that he blames you for never having a relationship with her. This morning you got a worried call from his fiancé that he didn't show up for breakfast so you and your wife went over to see if everything is okay."

"Thank you." Nate responded.

"I'll get the insurance papers in order. Kyle's fiancé will meet you at the hospital with them." Hardison continued.

"Who's Kyle's fiancé?" Parker asked him.

"You are. Ms. Parker Jones." Hardison explained. He wanted to keep the cover story as easy as possible for Eliot upon his revival.

"What about you?" Parker responded. "What's your connection, how are you…?"

"This is Eliot; he's not going to be in there that long." Hardison shrugged hoping he was right. Hardison disconnected allowing Nate to place the call for the emergency vehicle. Sophie stayed by Eliot's side pressing the towels against his skin to bring his temperature down.

**Authors Note: Please read and review! This is my first Leverage fic, and I hope to do the show and characters justice. I've been a Kaniac since his days on Angel. **


	3. Chapter 3

"Mr. Ford when's the last time you spoke with your brother?" The investigator asked him. Nate was distracted watching Eliot get transferred onto the stretcher hooked to the oxygen. As they waited for the ETMs to arrive his breathing was getting more and more strained. "Mr. Ford…"

"Last night. He had come to my place after what I assume was a bar fight looking to stir up some more trouble. I asked him to leave…"

"Was he drunk?"

"I don't know. I don't think so." Nate replied. "He was beat up, but not falling over or anything."

"Does he fight a lot?" The inspector asked him.

Nate nodded his head. "He's not some monster. He would never lay a hand on someone that couldn't defend themself. I think it was possible that he was beaten by his father as a child and has never gotten over that."

"What happened to the door?"

"Parker, his fiancé, was very upset when she called this morning. It wasn't like him to miss their date, and she begged us to come over and check on him." Sophie answered. "When we didn't get an answer, we…"

"Busted through the door." The investor gathered. "I'm going to write this up as no foul play, if there's anything else you can think of Mr. Ford don't hesitate to call."

"I won't, thank you." Nate responded taking the cop's card while holding his gaze on a still and vulnerable Eliot.

"We're ready to bring him down." One of the EMTs announced. Nate followed the stretcher to the main floor. He was going to stay with his fallen soldier as long as they would allow. Outside the van, an EMT looked at him expectantly. "Are you coming with?"

"I'll meet you there." Sophie gave him a peck on the cheek and started to walk off. "Nate…"

He turned around before the back of the vehicle was shut.

"Remind him of how much we need him." Sophie requested.

"Do you know if he has any allergies?" Nate heard someone ask. He was holding onto Eliot's hand trying to remember the medical history he had pulled from him when they established Leverage Inc. "Sir, has he had any adverse reactions to any medications?"

"No." Nate breathed deeply.

"Sir, do you have idea what could have caused this?"

'Me,' Nate thought to himself. Eliot was trying to tell him for some time that something wasn't right; he needed time off, but he was too stubborn to listen. Eliot's job was different from the rest of theirs. It was physically taxing, but he stood behind an image of invincibility. For the safety of the others he couldn't let them know that he had limits. "He's mentioned feeling tired. I honestly didn't think much of it until we found him. I thought Parker was over reacting. Sophie was the one that convinced me to look into it."

"There's a team waiting for him at the hospital. Do you know how long he's had some of these injuries?" The EMT studied the scrapes and bruises on Eliot's exposed chest and arms.

Nate shook his head no. "Some weeks, other's probably yesterday."

"What does he do for a living?"

"He does… stunt work."

"And then gets into bar fights at night?"

"Not always." Nate replied. He wasn't sure how else to explain the physical damage, but he hated the implication he was giving that Eliot was some drunk bastard looking to insert himself from fight to fight. That wasn't Eliot's disease; that was his. It wasn't long before the questions had stopped and he was being wheeled through the ER. Parker didn't have to fake the look of concern on her face as she saw an immobile Eliot brought through the doors.

"Oh God, Nate, you didn't say…" Parker attempted to follow him.

"I'm sorry Miss." A doctor stopped her. "You can't be back here. We'll let you know when there's an update on his condition."

"What happened? What's wrong with him?" Parker spat at their leader.

"I'm not sure, Parker."

"Is he sick? Did he get hurt? Was it a concussion?" She flew out more questions.

"I don't know."

"Well, you're supposed to!" She screamed out.

"Parker…" He tried to wrap his arms around her but she took a step back.

"Everything is wrong." Her voice got low and shaky. "Nathan Ford is always in control, and Eliot doesn't stay down. If that's not true then everything is wrong."

"I don't know what to say." Nate confessed.

"Tell me it's going to be okay." She pleaded.

"I don't…"

"Then lie to me." She interrupted him this time allowing him to pull her into a hug.

"It's going to be okay. He's going to be okay." Nate indulged her.


	4. Chapter 4

Sophie arrived shortly after the ambulance pulled up. He found Parker in Nate's embrace and couldn't tell who was holding up whom. Patiently she waited until one pulled away. "Hardison asked that we wear these." She said somberly holding out hers and Nate's earpieces. He grabbed the bead and slipped it into his ear.

"Hardison, it doesn't have to be done this way. You can come down…"

"No." The hacker interrupted him. "I'm better off here with my keyboard in front of me. I found this guys business records, you're right, Nate, crystal clean. All transactions are traced back to legal business enterprises. This Moretti, he's a professional."

"I think it's bigger than him." Nate responded. "This operation may just lead us to the dirt we need to take down Monroe. We need to convince Moretti that we can assist with the distribution of merchandise throughout the region. What we need… we need to steal a local chain convince him that he needs to go into business…"

"Nate, stop it!" Sophie shouted attempting to hold back tears. "I know what you're doing, but we can't…"

Parker was the first to notice the doctor walking through the door and stood up. "How is he?"

"He's stabilized. We've done a battery of tests; x-rays, a CT scan, we've taken blood samples."

"What have you found?" Nate questioned.

"The most pressing concern is the pneumonia, it has affected both lungs. With the immune compromised as it is, it could very well be fatal."

"I don't understand, he's the picture of health, how could he… pneumonia?" Sophie stuttered.

"With as many bruises that he has I was actually surprised that there wasn't more damage to the skeletal system. However, what I did find was a hairline fracture in his left arm that has been trying to heal for the past four to six weeks, but repeated impact has prevented healing and in turn caused an infection that has seeped into his blood stream."

"You said pneumonia." Parker interjected.

"I did." The doctor replied. "As his antibodies were attempting to fight off the infection in the blood stream it left his immune system open for an attack."

"Fix it." Parker demanded softly.

"Parker, it's not that easy." Nate stood up to explain.

"Ms. Jones, we're doing what we can for your fiancé. Unfortunately all we can do is hook an antibiotic to his IV, stabilize his temperature, and hope he fights through the infection."

"Fight?" Parker questioned and looked back at Nate and Sophie. "He can do that; that's what he does."

"When can we see him?" Sophie asked the doctor.

"Soon, we'll be transferring him over to ICU shortly." The doctor replied. "I'll let Nurse Carter point you in the right direction when he's settled."

"Doctor." Nate stopped him before he walked away. "Has he shown any signs of consciousness?"

"I'm sorry." The doctor shook his head no.

"Nate, where are you going?" Sophie asked after the doctor disappeared into the unit. He said nothing; he took out his ear bud and wandered off.

"I can follow him; do you want me to follow him?" Parker volunteered.

"No." Sophie held her hand. "He needs to be alone right now."

"But we're a family. We need him. Eliot needs him. If he tells Eliot to fight, he will. He trusts him."

"I don't think Nate trusts himself." Sophie replied. "Hardison, did you catch all that?"

"Yeah. I caught it." He sat in front of his screen looking at a picture of a hairline fracture. "It's not right."  
"I know it isn't." Sophie sympathized.

"He's been beaten, stabbed, shot, whipped; tortured for days on end." Hardison listed. "And this itty bitty sliver of a crack…"

"Don't finish that sentence." Parker stopped him. "We are not going to lose him. You heard the doctor. It is up to Eliot to fight; he can do that!"

"It's what he does." Hardison repeated her previous statement.

"We just have to remind him what he has here to fight for." Sophie agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

Parker sat by Eliot's side studying every rise and fall of his chest. Besides the needles stuck into his arm, the tube blowing oxygen straight into his nasal passages, and his unnatural ghastly shade of white it looked like he could be sleeping. That in itself was a new experience for her. Sure, she had seen Hardison down for the count with his head rested on a keyboard or Nate unwontedly passed out in his living room. She had stayed with Sophie in hotel rooms where Sophie was intent on Parker keeping her voice down as she gathered her beauty sleep, but she had never witnessed Eliot sleep. She had seen him drowsy and concussed several times, but he always remained conscious. He held onto that strength that Parker had learned to count on.

"Parker, it's okay to touch him." Sophie encouraged her.

The blonde shook her head no and backed away. "He doesn't like it when I…"

Sophie started to smile. "He doesn't like it when you poke at his bruises. Go ahead, hold his hand."

"You do it." Parker insisted. Sophie was so much better at that kind of thing; she knew how to be warm and comforting. This was foreign to Parker; it had been so long since she had let herself care about someone enough to want to stay by their side through the worst of times.

Sophie pulled up her seat to hang onto her friend's hand. As she did her other arm reached to comb her fingers through Eliot's hair and sweetly caress her thumb against his cheek as she moved her head in closer and brought his palm to meet her lips. "You stupid son of a bitch…" She said sweetly causing both Parker and Hardison's jaw to drop. "Somehow you got it stuck in your head that it's the mission that matters; it's the job, but you're wrong. _You _are what matters… to all of us. We appreciate what you do for this team. You fight because that's what you do, and you protect us, and there's no way we could ever thank you enough for that, but the only way this is going to work is if you're honest with us. You need to be able to trust us enough to tell us when you need some help. Eliot, there is no job, there is no con, there is no mark that is worth you falling on the sword. We need you a lot more than what you think you bring to the game."

She took a few deep breaths allowing the silent tears to fall before getting up.

"I'm going to get some water, do you want anything?" Sophie offered Parker. She shook her head.

"Hardison, are you still there?" Parker asked over the com.

"Yeah, still here. How are you holding up?"

"He… he looks so small. You should be here."

"I can't Parker. Look, I love El like he's my brother and if I thought I could do any good being at his side I would, but… no."

"Are you mad at him too?" Parker asked.

"No; I don't blame him for keeping his own secrets. We all do." Hardison replied.

"He had to know he was sick, right?" Parker questioned.

"I'm sure he did, but part of who he is includes brushing himself off and fighting his way through it. The only thing that's changed since becoming a team is that now he feels like his isn't the only back he needs to protect."

"As long as Nate said that we needed him…" Parker understood.

"He was going to step up." Hardison finished the thought. "Nate is never going to forgive himself if he doesn't pull through."

"Hardison, would you mind if I had a few minutes alone with him?" Parker requested.

"Take the time you need, baby."

She took her ear bud out and after working up the courage cradled both hands around his. "Eliot, I've already lost one brother and it's taken this long to open my heart up to… anyone. Please, keep fighting! I know that you are sick and you're tired, but as crazy as you think I am that's nothing compared to what I would be if I lost you."


	6. Chapter 6

"I thought I'd find you here." Sophie said standing on the hospital rooftop. "It's not Sam."

"What?" Nate looked back at her.

"It's not Sam lying in the hospital bed." She repeated.

"I know that." Nate replied and turned back out to watch the skyline.

"I know you feel that same helplessness and…"

"Don't tell me what I feel, Sophie." Nate snapped back.

"Then why don't you tell me?" She offered as she stood behind him pressing into his back and wrapping her arms around his chest.

"It's not Sam, but it's because of Sam that Eliot is lying there. I traded one addiction for another. What gets me out of bed in the morning is knowing that I can take down crooked CEO's of companies like IYS and prevent the next parent from burying their own child."

"Eliot knew what he was doing; he believes in that same mission. We all do, Nate."

"He's been asking me to stop, to slow down for weeks now. I didn't listen. I kept pushing for just one more; it was always just one more. I keep playing last night back in my head. All the signs were there…"

"Nate, you can't…"

"It's my job to see it!" He fired back. "What if you didn't push me to turn the car around? What if we didn't break through that door?"

"We did." Sophie replied leaving out the 'it doesn't matter', 'stop playing the 'what if' game'. "This team works because we can pick up where the other leaves off. It might have started with 'the grifter', 'the hacker', 'the hitter', 'the thief', and 'the mastermind', but somewhere down the line those titles stopped mattering. It would do both you and Eliot some good to figure that one out."

"What if it's too late? In the process of grieving my son I created this whole new family." He lamented with an ironic snicker. "It's you, me and the kids. Sophie, I can't bury another son."

"Tell him that. He respects you, and although he doesn't always agree with you, he listens to you."

"Isn't that what put him in this position in the first place?"

"Well then, make it better, Nate. Fix it!" She repeated Parker's plea before walking away.


	7. Chapter 7

Nate finished watching the sunset before heading back inside. Time was moving too fast and too slow at the same pace. He thought about Sophie's words; he thought about how she was right; he thought about how she was wrong, and then he attempted to shut out his father's voice in his head that said he thought too damn much.

"Nate." Parker looked up when she heard footsteps drawing near.

"Any change?" Nate questioned.

"No." Sophie shook her head. They were waiting for something, anything, a hand grasp or even change in temperature, but there was nothing. No sign of progress, no sign that the medication was working or that he had any idea that they were there to lean on.

"It's getting late. You guys should probably get back and eat something. Keep Hardison company." He suggested.

"What are you going to do?" Sophie asked him.

"I thought I'd try taking your advice." Nate responded. "Besides, I don't want to leave him here alone."

"We can come back after…"

"No." Nate cut Sophie off. "I know how suffocating this place can be, and you two have been here all day. Take the night off; I'll let you know if there are any changes."

"If you need anything I can be here… two, maybe three, minutes tops." Parker offered.

"Thanks, but I think Eliot would want you to do something for yourself tonight. You stay here too long and this place has a way of driving you insane."

"That's okay." Parker smirked. "I'm already twenty pounds of crazy in a five pound bag."

"Come on." Sophie ushered her out. "You know when he said that…"

Nate watched them disappear down the hall before taking a seat next to Eliot. "You know they need you, right?" He told his fallen soldier. "Eliot, I can't put into words how sorry I am; no amount of apology is going to make up for this. I do.. I do, however, want to point out that I… I don't take what you do for granted. I know I don't say how much I appreciate you enough, but there wouldn't be a one of us alive right now if it wasn't for you. If I don't say it it's because I have a hard time admitting to myself the danger I put you in just about every mission. If we all believe Eliot Spencer is this invincible force than we don't have to admit how close the close calls actually are.

"Of course you know that, and that's why you let us believe in that image. Don't think I don't know that you cover the worst of it. Eliot, I've seen the blood soaked rags and the surgical needles that you've thrown out after a bad fight. It's just easier for us to pay attention to what we have to do if we think we have superman there to protect us. I didn't mean to take advantage of that. I didn't mean to ruin that." Nate held back his tears. The sound of a heart monitor going off jerked Nate's head up. "Eliot… Eliot!"


	8. Chapter 8

"Pizza?" Sophie questioned as her and Parker got back to the apartment.

Hardison shrugged. "It seemed like a pizza delivery type evening, plus we're down one Iron Chef."

The look he got from the girls' faces suggested that the morbid sarcasm wasn't appreciated.

"I'm so sorry; I do that sometimes. I get upset and the filter there…" He pointed to the frontal lobe, "goes out the window, and I use sarcasm…"

"It's okay." Sophie stopped him. "We've all been charting new territory. When we started this not one of us thought that we were capable of putting our hearts on the line again."

"It was easier doing it alone." Parker spoke up while picking at the toppings on the pizza. "Didn't have to worry about people abandoning you."

"Is there something wrong with the pizza?" Hardison asked breaking an awkward silence.

"Not hungry." Parker replied and tossed down the rest of the piece.

"She'll be okay." Sophie consoled Hardison as he watched Parker leave the room.

"I'm not so sure about that. Hey, did Nate say anything about putting his ear bud back in?" Hardison asked being the only one that still had his in.

"He said that he would give us an update if anything changed. Of course you could always go down there."

Hardison shook his head.

"Anything you tell me stays between us." Sophie assured him sensing a heartfelt confession.

"Nate isn't the only one that has had to watch a loved one die." Hardison confessed. "I was just a boy. It was a few years after Nana took me in and Papa got really sick; cancer, spread from the lungs into the brain. I was supposed to be in the gift shop but wandered out and found Papa's room as he flat lined. I still remember the commotion of the nurses rushing in, and watched as the paddles were pressed. Nana came up from behind and tried to shield from… but it was too late. I heard the doctor call it and somehow I convinced myself that it was my fault; if I hadn't been there then…"

"That's ridiculous." Sophie replied.

"I know that here." Hardison replied again pointing to his temple. "Eliot kind of reminds me of Papa. He had that same gruff exterior and stubborn as all hell. Nobody even knew of the cancer until he could no longer hide the migraines he was getting."

"Hardison, are you there?" Nate asked over the com.

"I'm here, what's going on?"

"He's in v-fib." Nate said unsteadily.

"What?" Hardison asked as his brain shut down.

"There's a team working on him now."


	9. Chapter 9

"No." Hardison shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ford, I'm going to have to ask you to step away." One of the orderlies said pushing him out of view of the window.

"But my brother…"

"Is getting the best care possible, Mr. Ford, I'm going to ask that you go back to the waiting room and someone will be out shortly."

"I can't just sit there waiting to hear if my brother is alive!" Nate argued.

"I know this is difficult, but if you don't leave on your own accord I'm going to have to find someone to escort you."

"I'd like to see you try…"

"Nate!" Sophie responded through her com. "Arguing with the hospital staff is not going to help Eliot any. Meet me in the waiting room, I'll be right there."

"Yo, man, we all will." Hardison added prompting a sympathetic glance between him and Sophie.

"Fine." Nate backed down. "But can I just…" He attempted to peak through just once more but the shade was already pulled. He felt himself being guided back to a room with couches and end tables with old Entertainment Weekly's with the stars showing off their pristine smiles on the covers. He rested his back against the nearest wall and let gravity pull him down to ground level. His whole body trembled as his head rested on his forearm held up by his knees.

Five minutes, 22 seconds later a sympathetic hand pressed into his shoulder. He looked up to see Sophie standing over him with Parker and Hardison in row.

"How…?"

"That girl drives like a mad woman." Hardison explained pointing towards Parker.

"Would have been here sooner if Hardison wouldn't have demanded that we find a legal parking spot." Parker explained to which Nate looked at her hesitantly.

"Have you heard anything?" Sophie asked.

Nate shook his head no and she knelt down beside him.

"I'll take that as a good sign." She rubbed his arm.

"How's that?" Parker questioned.

"It means that they're still working; there's something to work on." Hardison responded for her. "If they hadn't picked up something by now they would have called it."

"Are you saying that the longer they stay back there it increases the chance that Eliot is alive?" Parker gathered.

Nate slightly nodded. "The doctor won't be out here until they've stabilized the EKG; either they steady the rhythm or…"

"Or they're left with nothing." Parker inferred.


	10. Chapter 10

"So the longer this takes the better chances Eliot has?" Parker asked hopeful.

"Not necess…" Nate started before Sophie stopped him with a well placed cough.

"Don't." Sophie warned.

"No, what is it? I want to know." Parker replied.

Nate sighed as he weighed the pros and cons of telling her, but she looked genuinely interested. "When the heart bumps blood through the body it's providing essential nutrients and… oxygen, if that gets interrupted it can shut down organs or kill off brain cells, and can subsequently affect recovery."

"What does that mean?" Parker questioned.

"It means nothing." Hardison answered, this time he was giving Nate the death glare. "As much fun as the 'worst case scenario' game is I'm not much in the mood for playing it. Let's go back to the part of the conversation where the doctor's being in there meant that my best friend was still alive!"

As his rant ended the doors to the room opened and an exhausted looking doctor walked through the threshold.

"Mr. Ford, can I speak to you in private?" The doctor O'Connor asked him.

Nate shook his head no. "We're all his family." Truthfully Nate wasn't sure if he'd be able to relay the message himself when it came out.

Dr. O'Connor understood and proceeded by attempting to explain what lead of to the cardiac arrest in medical jargon meant to distance himself from the patient while watching the painful expressions on the face of his loved ones.

"Is he alive?" Parker finally cut him off. That was the only thing she cared to know at that time and it infuriated her short fused attention span that he seemed to talk circles around it. "Well, is he?"

"We were able to reestablish a rhythm." Dr. O'Connor replied creating a mass sigh of relief. "However the pneumonia has taken its toll on his lungs and has ceased respiration."

"He stopped breathing." Sophie stated and questioned to make sure she heard right.

"He has a respirator doing the breathing for him for the time being. I added a mild steroid to his IV to assist with opening the air passages. My hope is the antibiotic will take soon which will decrease the amount fluid build up that's causing the problem." The doctor explained.

"But he's alive?" Parker asked again. Hardison clamped onto her hand.

"Yes, he's alive. It's late and he needs his rest so I'm going to ask that you keep the visits short." He finished before going back to his rounds.

"Hardison, why don't you go first?" Sophie nudged him.

"Nah, I…"

"Come on." Nate encouraged. "The doc just assured you that your best friend is alive."

"I wouldn't know what to say." Hardison replied.

Nate shrugged. "Then don't say anything."

"Like that's possible." Parker snickered.

"Hey, I'll have you know girl, I can be mad stealthy when the situation calls…"

"Uh huh." She concurred mockingly. There was something about the light-hearted sarcasm that they both needed at the moment.

Sophie watched them wander towards the ICU. "He's going to be fine." She told Nate who had taken a seat. He looked lost in his own thoughts. "It's going to take some time, but Eliot will build up his strength, he can beat this."

"Is that what you heard?" Nate posed to her. He remembered those same thoughts when Sam was sick; he could recall holding on to any shred of hope that he was handed, but this time what he heard was that Eliot's system was failing. He was relying on medical machinery to keep him alive and unless miraculously the antibiotic kicked in that was only a temporary fix. He didn't believe in miracles anymore; he had gotten to a point that the only thing he believed in was what he could control and this so far beyond his reach.


	11. Chapter 11

Nate slouched in the chair with his head propped against his arm. The night was spent slipping in and out of consciousness as rotating staff came in to check on vitals and keep the IV full. As the beaming sun cracked through the window Nate could have sworn he heard something behind him. He wiped himself around to see the blonde thief waving at him upside down from the harness. He shook his head and opened the window for her as far as it could go while she contorted her small frame through.

"Parker, you know this place has a door?" He reminded her.

"It's not open yet." She responded. Visiting hours didn't begin for another couple of hours and the lack of sleep she was getting was driving her stir crazy. Since she didn't want to wake Sophie and Harison at the apartment she thought about planning a heist to keep her occupied but as she set all the plans and got her equipment ready she realized there was only one place she wanted to be.

Nate couldn't help but laugh. It was classic Parker, there wasn't a lock conceived that would keep her from going where she wanted to be.

"He's looking better." Parker commented as her gaze fixated on Eliot.

"Huh?" Nate questioned.

"There's more color in his cheeks." She observed and held onto Eliot's hand, this time without a prompt. Nate peered over hopeful, but let down as he couldn't say the same thing. He put his hand on Parker's shoulder and let her hang onto that.

"Where are the others?" Nate asked her.

Parker shrugged. "I didn't want to wake them. Hardison was up pretty late playing those games on his computer and I'm surprised Sophie didn't fall through the ceiling with all the pacing she was doing. She's worried."

"We all are." Nate stated.

"Not just about Eliot."

"Then maybe she needs to get her priorities straight." Nate grumbled.

"She was on the phone with Tara." Parker explained. "It's true, isn't is? If Eliot doesn't survive, neither will the team."

"We'd be hard pressed to find someone that could step into that role. Eliot is so much more than just the muscle. He's our protector, part-time grifter, and second in line when I'm predisposed."

"I know that, but I'm not talking about the cons."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about this crazy, dysfunctional family we have going. Sophie says that if he doesn't… we're going to find you lost in the bottom of the bottle."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you it's not nice to listen to people's phone conversations?" Nate changed the subject hoping she wouldn't catch his lack of denial. It took everything he had not to saunter his way down to McRory's pub after the rest of the team went home.

"No." Parker smirked. "It was Eliot that taught me that the only way to truly know a person is by listening to the things they don't expect you to hear."

"Always was the lurker." He shook his head.

"Is!" Parker shot out correcting the tense. "He _is._"


	12. Chapter 12

"How did you get in here?" The nurse asked Parker while checking on Eliot's vitals.

"How do you think?" The thief responded. As the nurse scrambled to come up with an answer she continued. "I'll tell you what I didn't do, I certainly didn't repel from the rooftop and crawl through the window, that would just be crazy."

"Right." The nurse nodded and left.

"Parker!"

"What? It stopped her from asking anymore questions, didn't it?"

"You're too much." He shook his head. "Although I was kind of hoping for an update."

"I told you, he's getting better." Parker replied.

"Well that's encouraging." Sophie walked through the door.

"We don't know that. So far reports have said that everything is the same." Nate explained trying not to give false hope.

"I don't know. He seems to have more color in his cheeks." Sophie observed.

"That's what I said." Parker smiled.

"Here, I got these for you." Sophie handed each a coffee from down the street. "Parker, how did you get up here so fast? They were just opening the door when I arrived."

"How does Parker ever get somewhere when the door is locked?"

"By picking it?" Sophie questioned.

"Too much security." Parker shook her head. That piece wouldn't have been an issue if Eliot was there with her, but then again, she wouldn't be breaking into a hospital if Eliot was with her.

"Ah, repelled from rooftop." She stated matter-of-factly. "You know, you could have woken me up."

"And broken your seven hours of beauty sleep rule? Ah uh, not happening again."

'I wasn't really sleeping anyway,' Sophie thought to herself.

"Hey Soph, can we ahh.. um… talk outside for a minute?" Nate requested. She nodded and followed him down the hall far enough that he didn't think Parker could listen on. "You called Tara?"

"How did you…? Parker." She answered her own question. "Nate, are you going to begrudge me calling on a friend, who also happens to care about Eliot?"

"That's not the problem. Who you choose to talk to, how you decide to handle your own grief that's your deal just as long as you keep me out of it!"

Sophie tried hard to mask the sting of that outburst. "So I'm allowed to worry about Eliot, but not anyone else? Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds? I am sorry that Parker overheard me. I'm sure that I probably confirmed every insecurity she has, but tell me that I'm wrong. Tell me that you're not tempted to walk down to McRory's right now."

He hesitated to respond.

"Looks like I just got my answer."

Nate sighed, and then decided to change the subject. His sobriety wasn't in question at the moment so until it was he was going to hold off the discussion. "Was Tara the only call you made?"

"No, I also called Aimee." Sophie admitted.

"How did she take it?"

"About the same as the rest of us; stunned, scared, but hopeful. I debated making that call. As I picked up the phone I could hear Eliot screaming his objections in my ear, but if I loved somebody as much as she loved Eliot I would want to know. I would want to be given the opportunity to um…"

"Say goodbye." Nate finished for her and finally wiped the tear that had been sitting on her cheek since he yelled at her away. "Is she coming out?"

"I don't think she knows."

"Soph, have you ever loved…?"

"Enough to break me? Enough to question who I am and what I want with my life? Once."

"Oh…?"

"But then I learned he still had his own demons to face and so I wait." She replied staring deep into his eyes.

"You know," Nate brushed her hair off her shoulder, "it's situations like this that force us to wonder if the waiting is really worth it."

"Nate…" She whispered as he closed the space between them. "No… I…" He advanced gently caressing the back of her neck as she welcomed the sweet taste of his lips.


	13. Chapter 13

"How is he coming?" A voice broke Aimee's silent contemplation as she brushed down Mr. Ford.

"Oh God!" She jumped and then threw a brush at him. "Ned, I told you not to do that."

"I'm sorry." He offered his own brand of Southern charm. "When I woke up and you weren't there I got worried. That phone call really shook you up, didn't it?"

"Yeah." Aimee admitted.

"Would you care to talk about it?" He caressed her cheek. They had met only weeks after Eliot and the team saved her father's livelihood. Ned Holloway was the son of a Kentucky breeder where Willy purchased his first horse, a colt, that he got to name as promised, Mr. Ford.

"No." Aimee replied holding back the tears she thought she had dried up during her ride.

"It's about that Spencer guy, isn't it?"

Aimee took a deep breath.

"You had his picture sitting out on the coffee table."

"It's not what you think."

"Aim, I know you have a past with this guy and that doesn't bother me. Well, as long as what you still want is the future with me." He kissed her forehead.

"Of course I do." She replied. For once it seemed that she had found someone with the same goals as her. Someone she could have her own ranch with and settle down as a family, eventually have kids. "It's just, I hadn't heard from him in eight years and I made up my own excuses. I genuinely thought I'd never hear from him again, and I was okay with that. For all I knew Eliot Spencer was dead, you know, guys like that don't come with a long term warrantee. Then he popped up and proved everything I thought to be true wrong, well, everything except the settling down bit…"

"So what did he say to get you all riled up again?"

"Nothing." She replied as her throat started to close off. "He can't say anything; he's hooked up to some stupid respirator to keep him alive."

"Aim…" He invited her into his grasp as she cried.

"It's so stupid, too." She cried. "All he had to do was say that something was wrong; he…"

Ned held onto her as she trembled. "Have the doctors given a prognosis?"

She shrugged. "It all depends on the medication kicking in."

"I can drive you to the airport and get you on the first flight to…?"

"Boston." She replied after finally calming down. "Thank you, but I think I'll pass."

"Are you sure? It doesn't sound like it can get much worse so if you're going to…"

"I don't think I can handle seeing him like that. He's literally the strongest person I know, and to see him… broken… like that, well, it'd just be too much."

"Okay. Well then, just tell me what you need." He asked after she pulled away and started back on grooming Mr. Ford.

"Can you put that away for me?" She tossed him the bit.

"Strongest, really?" Ned asked who had a good four inches on Eliot with a muscular frame from working out on a ranch all his life. Aimee just laughed as she shook her head. Deep down she knew she had to trust in that strength to pull him through.


	14. Chapter 14

Parker sat by Eliot's side grasping onto his hand. "So what is it going to take? I'll stop poking you, I promise. I'll even try to act normal, but I may need a little help with that. You need to help me with that. There's still so much you have to teach me, for one, eating right. You don't want me going back to fortune cookies and twizzlers do you? And I just started learning how to fight. You promised me that you would teach me that move you use to disarm an opponent of their gun. You wouldn't back out on promise now would you?"

As she was talking his breathing became broken and strained.

"Eliot… Eliot, I'm going to get some help, just breathe." She advised as her own heartbeat sped up. Instead of hitting the com button she opened the door and started yelling down the hall. Nate and Sophie broke their grasp to come running after the nurse that was standing behind the station.

"What's going on?" Nate asked in broken breath.

"Mr. Eliot, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down." The nurse insisted ignoring Nate's question as she pushed the button for further assistance.

"Is he waking up?" Sophie asked Nate who shrugged.

"Not quite." The nurse finally answered. "But he's breathing on his own and resisting the respirator. That's it, just calm down. The doctor will be here shortly."

Parker smiled as tears of joy welled up at the base of her eyes. "Here that Sparky, you're going to be okay."

Nate held onto Sophie's hand as they waited for the doctor to remove the tube. Both Parker and Sophie turned away as he did. Nate watched as his body convulsed and turned to the side in a coughing fit. He looked to the doctor for an explanation.

"His throat is going to be sore. Can you grab the ice chips?" He motioned to the nurse, once the fit had subsided, who readily complied. "I'll be back in a bit to check on him."

Sophie stepped up to talk to him, softly brushing her hand through his chestnut locks. "Come on… come back to us." She prodded.

"I'm going to call Hardison." Parker smirked and then nudged Nate before leaving the room. "I told you he was getting better."

"I didn't say he wasn't." Nate threw up his arms in submission.

"Nate, look." Sophie caught his attention as Eliot's eyes started to flutter and within moments he was back to hacking again. The sound coming out was raspier than normal, but there was comfort in knowing the fluid in his lungs was breaking up. They both watched as he struggled to get his breathing back to normal.

"Where am I?" Eliot asked barely audible.

"Massachusetts General." Nate replied. "You were brought here yesterday when we couldn't wake you up. I knew that 90 minute rule was an exaggeration."

Eliot smirked as he worked on orienting himself to his surroundings and attempting to take inventory of his physical condition. Mostly his chest just ached and it took extra exertion to get his lungs to work properly. Once his vision was in focus he saw Sophie standing over him in tears.

"Sorry if I scared ya." He huffed.

"Shhh… we have time for that later. Right now just focus on getting stronger, okay?"

Eliot nodded; content in that plan.

"He's on his way." Parker came back into the room. Nate tilted his head directing her to look over toward the bed. She did to see those gorgeous hazel blue eyes looking back at her. He opened one arm the other held tightly over his abdominal region to allow her in for a hug. Parker sat on the edge of his bed and tilted in gently afraid to do anything that could hurt him. "If anyone asks I'm your fiancé." She warned him.

"Oh?" Eliot coughed, not meaning to.

"Yeah." Nate confirmed then pointed to himself and Sophie. "Brother and sister-in-law. Hardison is a long-time childhood friend."

Eliot nodded.

"Same names." Parker indicated and gave him an ice chip to soothe his throat. "Except your Kyle Eliot, but none us call you Kyle, and I'm Parker Jones. That's Nathan and Sophie Ford."

"I think I can handle that. So why am I here?"

"Because you almost died." Parker responded not understanding the context.

"Since you didn't tell us you were sick we had to make it as general as possible so the doctor could figure it out." Nate stated with an undertone of discontent and proceeded to explain the cover story.

"That burning in your lungs…" Sophie explained. "That's pneumonia. It could have killed you; it nearly did."

He saw the look of fear and helplessness painted on each of their faces and it killed him that he was responsible for that. There was no explanation he could give them except he hadn't realized how far he let it go. "I…."

"Not now." Parker stopped him knowing that eventually the explanation and apology's would need to be dealt with, but at the moment he needed to conserve his energy.

"Want to see if there's a game on?" Nate held up the remote control. Eliot nodded in appreciation and allowed Parker to lay next to him feeding him the ice chips.


	15. Chapter 15

"I thought he was getting better." Hardison entered the hospital to see Nate, Sophie, and Parker standing in the lobby. "Parker said he was getting better."

"He is." Nate insisted.

"Then what are we doing standing around here?" Hardison questioned.

"The doctor just needed to run a few tests." Sophie responded soothingly.

"If he checks out they're going to move him to the recovery unit." Parker explained.

"Well damn, any clue into when he gets to bust out of this joint?"

"Now you sound like Eliot. That was the first question out of his mouth when the doctor walked through the door." Sophie responded.

"Eliot was much raspier when he said it, and it was more a grumbled 'when do I get out?'" Parker corrected her in her best Eliot impersonation.

Hardison smiled as it hit him that Eliot really was okay; just hours after impending death and he was awake and on the mend.

"I was able to speak with Dr. O'Connor briefly. According to his chart his temperature is still a concern. He's looking at, at least, another 24 hours hospitalized with another month before he's completely healed and cleared to work." Nate explained.

"A month?" Parker asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, okay, I am not the one volunteering to tell him that." Hardison replied.

"Considering the alternative I can't see him having an issue with a month long vacation." Sophie refuted. "It could have been a lot worse."

"Be that as it may, Hardison is right, keeping Eliot sedentary for a month is not going to be easy." Nate spoke up looking for ideas.

"The dude did free Croatia on his off time." Hardison shrugged.

"Hasn't he been asking for some time off?" Sophie questioned. "Maybe we're not giving him enough credit. As far as I can tell, out of all of us, he's the best rounded in hobbies. He was just talking the other day about getting some time on the lake and going fishing."

"For a month?" Parker brought up again.

"Put him in the woods for a month and he'll throw down with a bear just to blow off some steam." Hardison added.

"No, he wouldn't. Eliot loves animals besides he only uses violence as an appropriate response, right?" Parker replied.

"Typically, but how long would it take you before your sticky fingers got antsy?" Hardison posed to her.

Parker rubbed her hands together. "They're not…"

"He's not talking literally." Nate attempted to explain.

"I just think that if we all work together we can come up with something." Sophie said optimistically.

"Or, by the third day of telling him to sit his ass down he'll kick all ya'alls asses." Hardison countered.

XXXXXXXX

"Am I going to live?" Eliot asked the doctor after he was settled back in the recovery unit.

"This time." Dr. O'Connor replied. "But I do feel compelled to tell you how close it was. If your brother hadn't of busted through the door when he did you wouldn't have made it through the afternoon."

"Yeah." Eliot replied not sure what else to say.

"Mr. Eliot, it's going to take some time for your body to fully heal from this. As I told Mr. Ford, you are looking at another month before I can clear you to go back to work."

"Kay." Eliot shook his head. That tended to be his problem with going to doctor's in the first place, no matter what they said he was probably going to do the exact opposite anyway. "Does this mean I get to go?"

"Not quite. I am going to take you off the IV and try the antibacterial in pill form. If your fever continues to dissipate I will have the release papers ready first thing tomorrow."

"Until then?" Eliot questioned.

"Until then you rest up; get used to it, you're going to be doing a lot of it, and let someone know if the visitation is too much." The doctor warned him. "Would you like me to send them in?"

Eliot nodded. After the doc left he grabbed the remote to see if he could catch the last part of the game. Unfortunately it was on a commercial so he turned the volume down and melted back into his pillow. He was fine with the rest and relaxation for the time being, especially if it meant the nurse he saw poking her head around the corner was the one doing the sponge bathing, but there was no way he was going to last the month.

"Yo, you up for company?" Hardison poked his head in first.

"Can probably handle that." He confirmed.

"No offense man, but you still look like shit." Hardison said as he sat down and the others filtered in after.

"At least I'm consistent." He replied feeling about as good as he looked. "So, what did I miss? How did the consult go?"

"We um… we don't need to discuss that now." Nate replied.

"Don't tell me you turned the job down?" Eliot huffed.

"Not down, just delayed." Nate insisted.

"Our priority right now is getting you healthy." Sophie added.

He hated feeling that helpless; Eliot didn't want to be the person that held them back from a job, ever. "What's the case?"

"We're not discussing this now." Nate assured him.

"Damnit Nate." Eliot said under his breath but winced at the pain the conversation was causing him. Parker reached over and grabbed the remote once the game came back on to turn up the volume. "Thanks."

"Shhh…" She hushed him as she took her seat next to him on the mattress. He felt his energy draining and let his eyelids fall as he listened to the commentary. Every once in a while he would open his eyes to certain plays.

"I should probably call her back." He overheard Sophie say to Nate.

"Call who back?" Eliot shot up causing a burning sensation in his lungs that he attempted desperately to hide.

"Eliot, don't be mad."

"Too late." He growled at Sophie knowing only one person that they would think of notifying in an emergency.

"You really need to calm down." Nate replied in his authoritative voice.

"I need to talk to Sophie, alone."

"Uh oh! Somebody is in trouble." Parker commented as she stood up and dragged Hardison by the arm to leave the room. Nate stood by the door waiting for Sophie to give the go ahead.

"I thought Aimee would want to know…."

"You had no right bringing her into this." Eliot replied forcefully.

"Why don't you call her up and see if she agrees?" The brunette held her ground.

"She was moving on!" Eliot yelled holding back the coughing attack he felt coming on.

"Is that what you really want? Her to move on and forget…"

"Yes!" Eliot interrupted her again. "That's exactly what I want. Sophie, name one hitter you know that has made it to retirement!"

Sophie's mouth dropped at the implication. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I don't want her to be afraid to answer her phone. You shouldn't have made that call."


	16. Chapter 16

After moments of silent contemplation and taking in not only his words but his message Sophie responded. "Joseph Benucci."

"What?" Eliot coughed.

"Lived to be 67." She replied to counter his claim.

"You're not going to count that are you?" He asked puzzled. "Benucci spent the last 20 years of his life locked in maximum security prison and most of that paralyzed from the waist down from an attack by a fellow inmate."

"Bad example." Sophie threw up her arms and sat down at the foot of the bed. "Have I mentioned how much I hate the violence?"

"The violence is everywhere; can't escape it, ya can't control it…" He explained before sitting up in a coughing fit that he couldn't hold back any longer. His chest, ribs, and lungs all clamped up leaving him panting for breath as the team rushed inside the room.

"Is everything alright in here?" Nate questioned.

"Are you okay?" Parker asked in genuine concern.

Unable to speak Eliot nodded his head and he fell back into the pillow. Inconspicuously he checked the hand he used to cover his mouth finding a hint of blood he had coughed up. He hoped no one would notice as he reached under the mattress to wipe it off.

To the group he appeared to be completely spent and Sophie looked in complete horror silently blaming herself for doing this to him. He was in no condition to be arguing about anything but she couldn't help but engage; she had to know to understand. It irked her that she couldn't read him.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" Nate suggested coming up from behind Sophie causing her to jump.

"Yeah. Okay." She nodded as it appeared his breathing was getting back to normal. Parker had helped by grabbing an ice chip for him.

"Let him rest." Nate directed to Parker and Hardison. Sophie followed him to the hall clearly still shaken.

"I didn't mean to upset him." Sophie explained.

"It's not your fault. You were trying to do what you thought was right…"

"Nate, how old is the oldest hitter you know?"

He shrugged not entirely certain. "Why?"

"He's going to die, isn't he?"

"We all die." Nate answered understanding the subtext. She didn't mean by this. The pneumonia was beating the crap out of him, but he was going to prevail. "Sophie, have you ever asked yourself why he's always worked alone?"

"He's safer that way, nobody but himself to protect." She figured.

"That's part of it." Nate responded vaguely. Unlike most of the crew Eliot didn't have the same social awkwardness. For him walking lone was a choice; a choice he made to protect those he cared about from very unsettling truths.

"And the other?"

"Nobody around to care." He knew that feeling all too well. After Sam passed it was a mission to push everyone else in his life away. He could be as self-destructive as he wanted without hurting anyone else. "Eliot is good… the best, at what he does, but he can't control the violence. Not completely."

"I understand that; what I don't understand is why he does it. I mean, I know what he does now is to protect us, but…"

"Why do any of us do what we do?" Nate posed to her.

"Because we're addicted to the illusion of control." She answered her own question.

"He's been told that he fights like there's something trying to get out of him." Nate replied. "I don't know, maybe there is, maybe not; maybe it's just a part of him."

_'The part that's going to kill him,'_ Sophie thought to herself.

"I know what you're thinking, and it's a valid concern. I have no doubt to the lengths in which he will go to protect us, but the only way to keep going is to trust him. The same way I trust you to dazzle the mark, Hardison to break through the security feed, and Parker to pick her way through a lock."

"Hasn't he just proven that we can't?" Sophie asked as her fury resurfaced. "If we're supposed to trust him then he needs to…"

"I'm not saying that conversation doesn't need to happen, but he's not the first person in this team to run his own con." Nate pointed out her part in the two David fiasco or his play in the Maltese Falcon debacle. "We need to thread lightly; he can't stand us seeing him vulnerable and if we push too hard we'll lose him."


	17. Chapter 17

"What do you think they're talking about?" Parker asked Hardison once it was apparent that Eliot was asleep.

"Don't know; don't really want to venture a guess." Hardison admitted.

"Why?" Parker questioned.

"Because they are probably talking about how everything is about to change."

Parker flashed back to a scene from her childhood. She had just been released after getting busted for a car theft. The waiting at the department was nothing compared to sitting in her room as her foster parents argued below. She couldn't make out the words but she had enough experience to know what was going to happen next so instead of sitting through another 'discussion' about 'the best place for her' she ran. She jumped out of the second floor window and ran as fast as she could. She had spent two nights in the park pick-pocketing her way through meals before she got caught in the wrong pocket… or right one as the case became.

"You alright?" Hardison gently clenched her shoulder as it was obvious she was dazing out.

"Eliot's okay; wh… why do things have to change?" She questioned with doe eyes.

Hardison sighed wishing that he had never brought that up. "It doesn't, okay, it doesn't as long as we don't let it. Look, we all know he's been in worse situations than this and has pulled through. So there is absolutely no reason for this to change anything."

"He's Batman." Parker smiled.

Hardison made a questioning face. "Naw, the caped crusader lives by the mantra that he don't kill no one. Eliot would be the living embodiment of Wolverine."

"Only without the claws." Parker replied having seen the movies over at Hardison's.

"Well yeah, without the… he's like… you know, with the military training and quick healing; gruff personality."

Parker nodded to the comparison. "Who would I be?"

"Huh?"

"Which superhero do you think I would…."

"Definitely Shadowcat." Hardison replied with a cheek click.

"Who?" She looked confused.

"Katherine "Kitty" Pryde." He replied as if obvious to her still inquisitive expression. "Oh, come on, you remember, the one that phases through walls? There's not a vault that could stop that one either."

"Was she on the good side or the bad side?" Parker questioned.

"The good." Hardison responded. "She actually had a good rapport going with Wolverine; had a six issue series together. It was the big brother/kid sister relationship. I have it at home if you want to check it out sometime."

"Sure." She smiled again. It was that smile that warmed Hardison's heart. He'd do anything to keep her sporting it.

"Parker, you know that no matter what happens next you're not… alone. You'll never be alone…"

"We interrupting?" Nate asked coming into the room.

"Naw." Hardison shook his head. "Looks like our boy is down for the count again."

Sophie came over and gently stroked his cheek aware of the elevated temperature. "Good; he needs it."

"I think we could all use a little substance." Nate suggested knowing that Eliot could probably use the time alone. Hardison and Sophie started to follow him out. "Parker…"

"What if an enemy finds out that he's sick?"

"Then we do what we've always done." Nate advised. "Trust him."

"He's Wolverine, remember?" Hardison winked at her.

She nodded, smiled, and took his hand to follow him out.


	18. Chapter 18

Eliot was drifting in and out of consciousness woken up several times by machines going off or announcements over the com but surprised by the lack of chatter that he had grown accustomed to hearing over the past two and half years in working as a team. It was an unfamiliar touch to his shoulder that finally jolted him to full alertness as his instincts kicked in and grabbed the nurse's wrist.

"I…I'm sorry." The young girl looked shaken. "I was just checking…"

Within seconds the autonomic nervous system turned back off and he went returned to a resting state. "No need to be doing the apologizing, darling. You're just doing your job."

"Yes, but the chart clearly states to not approach without verbal warning. You just looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake you."

Eliot smirked; he figured that Nate must have had them put that in to protect the hospital staff.

"Now that you are awake can I grab your temperature?" She held up the thermometer. He nodded slightly and allowed her to slip the stick under his tongue.

"What else does that chart say about me?" Eliot asked after the thermometer was removed. "Anything about ruggish good looks and Southern charm?"

She flipped through the pages with a flirtatious smile. "No, nothing about that, but I do notice the part in here about the fiancé."

Eliot took a deep breath followed by a sigh muttering a 'damnit' in his head.

"I have to say she's a lucky girl." The nurse winked. "Your temp is down about a half a degree. If you need anything please don't hesitate to press that button there."

"I don't think I caught your name." He held out his hand in a greeting.

"I'm Shannon."

"Nice to meet you Shannon; you can call me Eliot." He introduced himself to the girl.

"I should probably continue my rounds, like I said if you need anything…"

Eliot held up the call button. After she left he looked over at the telephone realizing that this might be the only time he had to place the call without disruption. Hesitantly he grabbed the receiver and dialed her number.

"Hello?" Aimee answered on the other end.

"Hello beautiful." He managed to say with as much strength as he could muster.

"Eliot? Oh my God!"

"Please don't cry." He responded hearing the wavering in her throat. "I've always hated watching you…"

"Then stop giving me reasons to." She interrupted.

"I think I can manage that. Aim, I'm sorry to disrupt your life again. I had no idea that the team still had your number, and if I did I would have never authorized that call."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. All I want is for you to be happy. That Ned guy, he's decent."

"You've checked up on him?" Aimee asked offended.

"I…. I may have had Hardison run a background after Willy told me about him. That's not the point."

"Oh, I don't know, I think this may be something worth talking about." She started to argue. As she did Eliot pulled the phone away from his ear to keep her from hearing the worst of his hacking. "El… El is everything okay?"

"Fine." He replied much weaker than he started the conversation with. It shouldn't have surprised her since hearing Sophie's announcement that he was moments away from dying the night prior, but it was hard to hear.

"El, thanks for letting me know you're okay, but um… maybe you should call back when you're feeling better."

"Um… actually, part of the reason I called was to tell you that I won't be calling back, neither will they. It's better this way. All my presence does is create heartache and confusion. You deserve the life and happiness you've always dreamed of. I won't get in the way of that."

"Eliot, nothing is going to keep me from caring about you and wondering if you're out there somewhere." She objected.

"Don't worry about me. What's the saying? Only the good die young? I still have plenty of years on me. Goodbye Aimee." He held on for an extra second to hear her response of 'that's the problem' before setting down the receiver.

He sat back and allowed a single tear roll down his cheek slowly breathing through the pain of his latest cough attack with his eyelids hung.

"And so the rumors are true." He heard a familiar voice coming from the doorway. "Eliot Spencer has finally found a formidable opponent."

"Why don't you move closer, Sterling?" He whispered; his eyes still closed. "I'd like to show you how to kill a guy with my pinky."


	19. Chapter 19

"You're sounding pretty tough for a guy laid out in a hospital bed." Sterling remarked.

"You wanna try me?" Eliot glared over at him.

"Whoa, hold it up cowboy, I just came to send my best wishes for a speedy recovery. I brought a card and everything." He grinned as he walked toward the hitter careful to keep himself arms length away.

"What do you want Sterling?" They heard Nate's voice from the hallway.

"Get away from him!" Parker demanded.

"Now him I think I can take." Hardison commented as he put his arms up in a karate kid-like fighting stance.

"Stand down soldier." Nate tapped Hardison's chest. "You have ten seconds to tell me what you're doing here before I have you escorted out."

"I thought I'd try to offer you another deal. See, I'm due for another promotion and to get that all I'd need to do is put away the best of the criminal minds, and look they're all right here."

"Appreciate the flattery." Eliot huffed. "Ain't going to get you nowhere."

"I'm not hearing the deal." Nate responded.

"Well, see the deal is either come with me willingly and pay for your crimes here where you may get a fair trial or get sold to the highest bidder cross country. Personally I hope you go for the latter. I'm looking forward to the boat I can buy from that price in Myanmar."

"Ain't going to happen." Eliot shook his head.

"What makes you think we're inclined to do either?" Sophie asked him.

"Because, sweetheart, for once you don't have the leverage not to. Oh, come on Nate, you had to know this day was coming. Don't think I haven't been keeping tabs on your little operation. Don't think I haven't been taking notes. Without Spencer you don't have a plan B, C, D, or E. I'll give you 24 hours to decide, but don't think you're going to escape me in that time." He explained before walking out.

"Why are we letting that man walk?" Hardison asked Nate.

"Because he's not stupid enough to play this alone so we need to figure out the players before stepping into the game." Nate indicated.

"Nate, we can't run a con." Sophie whispered over to him.

"I can't go to prison. Do you know what they would do to me in prison? This pretty face, this frame. You guys may mock the orange soda and gummy frogs but I look damn good…" Hardison rambled.

"You're not going to prison." Eliot responded.

"I don't like that look." Parker twitched her nose at Eliot. "That's the 'I'm resolved to do something stupid' look."

"What? I do not have a resolved to be stupid look."

"She actually said 'resolved to do something stupid.'" Hardison clarified. "So what is it bro, what's your big plan to get us out of this?"

"I just think…"

"It doesn't matter." Nate interrupted Eliot. "It's not your job to come up with the game plan."

"But it is my job to protect us. You can't pull a con on Sterling in 24 hours, not without more information, and I can't run. You heard him; the price he wants is on me. You guys can fly out of here now and meet at a rendezvous point to iron out the details in bringing that bastard down to his knees while I give him the counter-offer."

"See, resolved to do something stupid." Parker said to Hardison who was left speechless by Eliot's plan.

"No; no way." Sophie spoke up.

"Eliot, I wouldn't be able to agree to that if you were healthy, there's no way. No. Too risky." Nate replied.

"You took a deal; you were shot and carted off to prison. You don't get to tell me no." Eliot responded.

"It's not the same. Eliot, the prison you would be going to would…"

"I know… then don't let me stay in there too long."


	20. Chapter 20

"Nate, seriously, tell me you're not even considering this." Hardison looked to the leader.

"It's not his call." Eliot argued.

"Eliot, man, are you even listening to yourself?" The hacker replied. "You are physically unable to run, to get yourself safe into hiding, but… you want us to leave you behind so you can get thrown to the wolves in a prison cell with little to no regulations for inmate safety? It's a suicide mission and I ain't letting you do it."

"I agree." Parker spoke up. "We're either all going or all staying, but I'm not leaving you Sparky."

"_This_ is what Sterling wants. He's counting on it." Eliot responded softly. "He'll take my offer because he doesn't think you can pull off a high stakes con without me. Prove him wrong and take that mother fucker down."

"Nate, say something." Sophie pressed after a full minute of silence.

Nate took a seat as he pondered what Eliot was asking. He thought back to their previous dealings with Sterling as a team. It was Eliot that brought Kentucky Thunder to the stable that saved the two horse job. Eliot was the one that managed to escape Sterling's trap in the David job, and Eliot planned the rescue during the Zanzibar Marketplace job. "He's right. It's no coincidence that Sterling is making his move now. Without Eliot we're vulnerable and he knows that."

"A month, remember!" Parker screamed at him. "I don't think Myanmar prison is the type of vacation the doctor ordered."

"I can survive it." Eliot promised. "What I can't do is defend the rest of you in the process, so please, give me one less thing to worry about and get out of here."

"Do you all have your coms on you?" Nate questioned.

"Oh no, Nate?" Sophie reacted.

"Leave separately and don't go home. We'll meet up in London, you all know where. Tell me if you think you're being followed." Nate ordered. "Hardison, you go first and get the flights arranged. Not out of Logan."

"This is not happenin', it ain't happenin', man."

"It is happening." Nate corrected him. "I want you to spend every minute possible in flight learning everything you can about the Myanmar prison system."

"What about Sterling?" Parker asked about the next order of business.

"Leave Sterling to me." Nate insisted.

"Dude, you die and I ain't gonna forgive you." Hardison warned Eliot. "I mean it, and that your bike of yours. I'm taking it and it's gonna sold for scraps."

"You wouldn't." Eliot smiled and shook his head.

"Oh? Oh yeah, you think so? Two words… scrap metal." He held out his hand for Eliot to grab onto. Eliot even allowed the bro hug that followed without objection. "Scrap. Metal." Hardison repeated before leaving the room.

"Now what?" Parker asked attempting to keep composure.

"Now we wait for Hardison to confirm the tickets and then it's your turn." Nate explained.

"In that case can I talk to Eliot?" Parker requested.

Nate nodded and guided a very miffed Sophie out of the room.

"You're not gonna talk me out of it." Eliot told her.

"I know; I saw the look. Can you believe it? Me noticing 'looks' and reading people?" She snickered.

"You've come a long way, doll."

"There's still something wrong with me." She replied sitting on the edge of his bed. He reached out to hold her hand.

"Only the right kind of wrong." He smirked.

"You still have to teach me that disarm."

"Okay…" Eliot pushed himself to a sitting position and searched for something in the room that resembled an 'L' shaped object. "Grab that." He pointed out. "Your basic disarm is easy. The most important part is caging this distance between you and the weapon. You're inexperienced gunman typically holds it about… here."

"Here?" Parker asked following his lead.

"Can you tell me the problem with this?" Eliot questioned.

"Um…."

"A) The firearm is in direct view, and b) it's within arms length away. The disarm is a simple grab, twist, and strike." He showed her without actually hitting her. "Just make sure when you twist you move it away from your body, just like you would parry a knife."

"Grab, twist, strike." She repeated. "I can do that, let me try."

Eliot grabbed the object and held it up for her. Like a dance her movement flowed effortlessly as she followed command pulling the punch at the end. "Perfect."

He commented although not surprised. She had already proven herself a quick study.

"What if you can't see the gun?"

"Well, the next worst mistake is when they press it against your skull. Then you know exactly where it is. Here, go for it." He urged her and then demonstrated the counter.

"Slow down." Parker smirked. "What did you just do there?"


	21. Chapter 21

"Are you out of your mind?" Sophie screamed at Nate once they settled down the hall. "You… you're supposed to be the 'good guy' here!"

"Soph…" He reached out her arms to hold her to which she pulled away.

"No." She started to break. "Please; it's not too late to stop it!"

"It's going to work out. I will make sure this…"

"How?" She questioned him. "You don't control this damn universe, Nate! How do we even know that Sterling is taking him to Myanmar? I'm sure that's not the only place with a price on his head. How do we know he didn't throw that out because that's what he wants us to think?"

"I'm not going to say that's not possible, but Sophie, you read people better than anyone. What were you getting from Sterling?"

"Ego." Sophie answered.

"Exactly, he thinks we're tied down to playing his game."

"Okay, but isn't it more dangerous if we switch the rules on him?" She posed.

"Not if we make him believe he's still winning." Nate replied.

"He is still winning. If anything happens…"

"If you can't trust me, then trust Eliot."

"I don't know if I can trust either one of you." Sophie admitted. "Love, yeah. Absolutely. No question about it, but Nate it was your obsession, your addiction, that brought us here, and Eliot… Nate, you watched his heart stop."

"I know; I was there." He responded grimly. "But I'm not naïve enough to think that's the first time that's ever happened. I wasn't lying when I said that I didn't want to bury another son, but this is what we do, this is what _he_ does. He puts himself out there. Now, from here on out I promise to listen better to what he's really saying, but he was loud and clear when he said he could do this."

Sophie finally allowed the tears to free fall. "Nate, you said it. It's you, me, and the kids. If you're the dad, figure out what that makes me."

"Sophie…"

"He's sick. What I want to do is wrap him up and cradle him in my arms."

Nate invited her into his instead. "He doesn't need his mama; he needs his team. Soph, you can do this. _We_ can do this."

"Okay." She finally agreed. As she did a text came in on Nate's phone.

"It's time." Nate responded.

XXXXX

"The most important part is timing. You follow your instincts, if you can pull it off then do so. If not, find another way to get the hell outta there." Eliot cautioned.

"Understood." Parker shook her head. "What about the professional gunmen?"

"In those cases you call for me." Eliot smirked.

Parker hesitated to respond. "That means you kind of have to stick around."

"I'm not going anywhere, darling."

"Promise?" She asked for the confirmation.

"I promise."

"Hey…" Nate poked his head through the door. "The tickets are set. Alice White has a car waiting for her at the rental two blocks East and a ticket out of Bradley international in three and a half hours. Hardison should be uploading the itinerary now."

"Three and a half hours to Hartford? I guess that means I better get going." She figured with the time it would take to pick up the car and get through security she would just be making it, especially if she had to maintain an inconspicuous speed.

"Parker…" Eliot held out his hand for her to grab onto. "The right kind of wrong." He repeated.

"See you later." She replied refusing to say goodbye before she left. When the blonde closed the door behind her Eliot turned his attention over to Sophie. "Kay, lay it on me, you may not get another shot."

"I don't even know what to say." She replied. Both Nate and Eliot looked shocked.

"That's a first." Nate quipped.

"Don't start with me." Sophie warned Nate. "Eliot, I need you to be completely honest. This morning you mentioned the fact that as a hitter your life expectancy was limited. Is this your way of diving on the grenade for the team?"

"I don't make it a habit of plotting my own death." He replied as honestly as he could. "I know you're having a hard time believing me right now. You doubt my ability to know my own limits, and I don't blame you, I messed up, but I have survived worse situations than this without a team to get me out of it. So no, I'm not diving on any grenade; I'm trusting you."

Sophie sat down next to him and extended her arms out.

"You're gonna cry aren't ya?" Eliot questioned accepting the hug and muttered under his breath. "Hate it when they do that."

"Too bad." She responded. "You're part of this family, and we need you! You hang on to that with everything you have and then more. Got it?"

Eliot nodded.

"El…" She cried having a hard time pulling away.

"I'll be fine. Can you do me a favor, though?"

"What's that?"

"Keep an eye out on the rest of them. Reign Nate in if he's pushing too hard…" Eliot advised with Nate standing right them. "Pull Hardison back when he overdoes it, and just… watch Parker."

"Just until you're able to resume your role." She confirmed.

"Thank you."


	22. Chapter 22

"I hope you realize that if this ends badly they're never going to forgive me." Nate cautioned Eliot once they were left alone.

"Then I suppose you have some plotting to do." Eliot replied. "Just don't forget the main objective. I'm not doing this for shits and giggles. I'm doing this…"

"James Sterling will pay." Nate interrupted him.

"You know, I kinda wish I could just beat the crap out of him." Eliot shrugged. He knew that wasn't feasible. Sterling wouldn't show up alone; even if Eliot managed to do some damage, he wouldn't be walking away from it, especially in his condition.

"Are you having second thoughts?"

"No; I want to see him suffer. I want to see him lose everything. That thought alone will keep me going. I don't want you even thinking how to get me out until that's done."

"That part I can't promise." Nate told him.

"Nate…"

"No; you've left the planning to me; I am not leaving you in there a second longer than you need to be."

"You already have a plot brewing, don't ya?" Eliot snickered as he identified 'that look' on his face.

"I'm throwing around a couple ideas." He assured him.

Eliot nodded, and Nate could tell by his posture that he was exhausted.

"Eliot, before I go…"

"Wait!" Eliot stopped him. "Nate, I can't have the confrontation with Sterling here, I'm… do you think you could bring me back to the apartment? You can drop me off down the street."

"No." Nate responded pensively. "No, I'll drive you up and go through the front door, but how do you expect to get the medical clearance…?"

As Nate asked the questioned Eliot ripped the IV out of his arm. "What?"

Nate laughed as he pointed to the dresser beside him. "Your clothes are in the top drawer."

Eliot was shaky too his feet; Nate watched in caution fighting the urge to stand up and help him. The confidence he had that the young man could last in prison was fleeting by the moment. _'Not a moment longer than he has to'_ Nate convinced himself.

"I'll be stronger when I get some solid food in me." Eliot told him noticing Nate's concern as he slipped on his jeans. He untied the hospital gown and turned away slightly to throw on the sweatshirt.

"Right. Of course. You ready?"

"Lets go." Eliot responded and followed Nate out to the elevator to the garage without so much of a word to hospital staff except a note on his bed that read 'checking out.' When he got into the car Eliot rested back against the head rest attempting to take breath into his aching lungs.

"Eliot, are you sure?" Nate questioned as he peaked over while driving to observe the effort the simplest of acts was taking him.

"Yeah." He replied unconvincingly. "What's the plan? Anything you need me to do?"

Nate knew he was asking as a distraction. "Actually, yes."


	23. Chapter 23

"What do we got?" Sterling asked approaching the van parked outside the apartment.

"We have visual confirmation of all five entering the building last night." One of the henchmen explained.

"Even Spencer?" Sterling asked surprised.

"Yeah." He held out a picture of Eliot and Nate outside of O'Rory's in conversation. Sterling examined the profiles closely. "Yeah, that's them. What about the others?"

"Alec Hardison and Parker." Another henchman passed a photo taken from the back. Both appeared the same size and frame.

"Sophie _Devereaux_?"

"Can't see the face, but the boots are a dead give-away." The first henchman showed him.

"All entrances and exits monitored?" Sterling confirmed.

"No one was getting out without our men knowing about it. They're in there."

"That's what I wanted to hear." Sterling smiled. "Why don't we pay our friends a visit?"

XXXXX

Eliot stretched out on the couch flipping through the several of the 700 sports channels trying to find something that would hold his attention. Throughout the night he had done what he could to hydrate himself and take in as much nutrition as he could knowing that this was his last chance for an unspecified amount of time. At last check his fever was sitting at 103 degrees Fahrenheit, down from the 104 it was the night before. He heard a knock on the door and turned off the television.

"'S open." Eliot called out.

"Wonderful, so nice to see you're feeling better." Sterling walked in as his guards stood behind. "What's up? The other's sleeping in?"

Eliot shrugged. "Maybe. 'Course my guess is that they're at least half way across the Atlantic by now."

"Very funny." Sterling chuckled before sending his guys upstairs. "It's a nice stall tactic, but I wouldn't consider making a run for it. I have 6 more downstairs."

"All that for us?" Eliot teased.

"Consider it a compliment. You make it this far on my radar it means you're among the best. Which just makes it that much sweeter when I bring you to justice."

"Justice?" Eliot shook his head. "Funny how the last time we talked you were asking _us_ for a favor. Correct me if I'm wrong, didn't you get a promotion out of that deal?"

"That's correct. Dealing with thieves from time to time has proven profitable." Sterling admitted. "But you're still just that, thieves, all of you, and it will be a pleasure watching you get carted off back where you belong."

"Boss, they're not up here." A guy called down.

"What do you mean they're not up there?" Sterling threatened.

"Let me guess." Eliot postured counting the eight guys on his fingers. "A van placed here with surveillance on both entrances. A guy on the hospital roof, the Logan terminal, and at each of the other's residence; for Parker her actual and the one on Central Square."

"I knew that was a dummy." Sterling shook his head. "So, where are they?"

"I told ya. They're gone. You got your wish, the team has disbanded and you get your payout."

"No. I'm not buying it; they wouldn't have left a man behind."

"Tell ya what, call off the search now and I'll come willingly."

"That's very gallant of you Spencer, but what can you do if I decline?"

"I could kill you. Personally, I hope you go with the latter." Eliot smiled echoing Sterling's request.

"Do you really think you're in any shape to be making veil threats?"

"There's nothing veil about it. I could take you down before the guys up there got a shot out. Granted, with eight guys each carrying firearms I'm not gonna make it outta here, but you'd be dead, I'd consider that a bonus. What do you say?"

"Who would be stupid enough to pass up on a half a million?" Sterling answered rhetorically.

"Darn." Eliot sighed watching as Sterling called off his men. As they came down to apprehend him Sterling pulled out his phone. "Whatcha doing?"

"Securing my funds." Sterling smiled. "A quarter wire transferred with the completion of this call, and another upon delivery. Here, smile for the camera for me, will ya?"

Eliot put up his middle finger for the flash before standing up to the muscle in front of him. As a guy went to grab him Eliot countered bringing him to the floor in a headlock. "What part of come willingly did you not understand?" He questioned.

"Forgive us if we don't trust you." Sterling sneered pulling out a set of handcuffs.

Eliot looked around the room as the guards from downstairs came up with weapons drawn. He pushed the guy forward and pulled his arms behind him for the handcuffs to be placed. On Sterling's command the guard to his right sucker punched him to the temple knocking the hitter out.

"Bring him down." Sterling ordered to the crew before stalking off with a proud grin.

"What about the rest?" His number one questioned him.

"We'll catch them in the prison break."


	24. Chapter 24

"I'm still not talking to you." Sophie turned her back on Hardison at the London safe house.

"Sophie, I had to." Hardison defended himself.

"You _had_ to give my favorite boots away? Do you have any idea how much those things cost?"

"Too ridiculously much." Parker added remembering the conversation between Sophie and Nate during the twelve step job.

"They were the only pair I had in the van and I had to make it convincing." Hardison explained.

"Where did you go to buy a fake Parker?" Parker questioned.

"Yours was the hospital HR rep, mine was a cafeteria aide and Sophie's was the mother to a child on the oncology unit. By the way, those boots are helping pay the bills for his treatment."

Sophie sighed realizing she couldn't argue with the noble cause. What was Nate turning them into?

"I still don't understand how that was supposed to work. So, they looked like us going in, how were they not spotted coming out?" Parker asked.

"Because they only needed to look like us from the back, besides, I had them change when they got there. So the guards saw 'us' going in, but totally ignored the random people leaving. Or, so I hope."

"You hope?" Sophie clarified.

"Well, yeah, we have no way of knowing if Sterling's guys bought it."

"And if they didn't it makes the situation more dangerous for Eliot." Parker figured.

"Not to mention the innocents in this." Sophie added.

"When does Nate get here?" Parker asked.

"Soon. He wanted to stay with Eliot as long as he could. Plus, I gave him Newark." Hardison smiled to the last part.

"Serves him right for getting us into this mess." Sophie snickered.

"Did you give him a middle seat?" Parker beamed, reveling in the thought of Nate being stuck between two passengers during the entire trip over international waters.

Hardison snickered to the suggestion.

"Yes, yes, he did." Nate said busting through the door. "Luckily, though, there was an open seat in first class that I got to transfer in to."

"Hey man, I was just doing what I thought was best for the cover. You know, I didn't want to raise no red flags." Hardison explained to which Nate nodded with his irritated grin. "Seriously though, how was he when you left him?"

Nate shrugged. The last thing he wanted to tell the team was how susceptible and exhausted he looked. It ripped him apart to walk out of the apartment, but Eliot had finally fallen asleep after getting a decent meal in and he had the flight to catch in New Jersey. It didn't help that getting out meant scaling the fire escape on the East side of the building before jumping balcony's either. "He says he can do this. What did you find out about Myanmar?"

"We weren't asking about what he said." Sophie replied.

"Clever misdirect though." Hardison added.

"It's not misdirection, it's focus. What did you learn?" The leader demanded.

"Nothin' good. It's a military government with no guarantee of a fair trial. Truthfully, Eliot could be imprisoned within hours of stepping foot in the country, and he can forget getting any real medical treatment, just ain't going to happen." Hardison explained as he pulled an article from 2009 explaining the shocking statistic of 1 doctor for every 7,000 prisoners in the Burmese prison system.

"Okay." Nate replied wishing he had a glass of whiskey in hand. "What about the prisons themselves. Can we narrow down where we think he'll be placed?"

"Assuming we're looking at maximum security…" Hardison started.

"That's not a large leap." Nate suggested.

"There's only 22."

"22?" Parker questioned. "We can't possibly go breaking into 22 different prisons."

"No, we can't." Nate agreed. "What we can do is place one of us in the Attorney General's office and find out first hand where he is going."

"Say the word and I can book us a one way ticket to Yagyon." Hardison offered.

"Two tickets. Parker you're going with Sophie, Hardison will stay here with me."

"Maybe it's not a good idea that we split up." Hardison argued.

Nate sighed. "I don't like it anymore than you do, but we need to stay low on the radar. The four of us cannot travel together without raising flags. I need the two of you to do a recon of City Hall; figure out its staff and policy's and get yourself placed inside. The assistant to the assistant, I don't care, just do it."

"I can do that." Sophie assured him.

"Once we figure out where then we can look up the blue prints and come up with the escape route." Nate continued. "Hardison and I will make are way over a little less directly, but I need you there as soon as possible. I can't see Sterling wanting to keep Eliot in his custody for very long."

"Nate, what are we going to do about Sterling?" Sophie posed.

"That's what we'll be working on." Nate pointed to himself and the hacker.


	25. Chapter 25

"Boss, it looks like he's starting to wake up." The guard warned Sterling. Sterling peered over the rows of the private jet to see Eliot's head barely moving.

"You put a blanket on him?" Sterling questioned.

"He was shivering." The guard explained. "It was distracting."

Sterling snickered. "You know, I almost feel bad about dragging the guy from a hospital bed; almost."

"We only have to keep him alive long enough to transfer him over to the Prime Minister." His number one reminded him.

"Not if we hope to catch Ford and the others in the con to break him out. No, I'm counting on Spencer's stubbornness to withstand torture. Maybe I should check to see how I can make this trip more accommodating for our guest."

Eliot became suddenly aware of the world around him. As he did he wished he could sneak back into the darkness for which he came. There wasn't a limb from head to toe that didn't ache. He didn't have to open his eyes to know he was in the air; they had him strapped into the aircraft with the weight of his upper body resting against bound arms. His breath was becoming shaky due to the exertion it was taking him to pump oxygen through his bacteria ridden lungs, as much as he saw that complication coming there was nothing he could do to hide the shakes that came with the temperature spike from the fighting immune system. The worst, though, was the newly acquired mind splitting headache from the hit he took that knocked him cold.

"Spencer…" Sterling tapped his cheek. "You who!"

"What do you want?" He growled.

"Checking on the merchandise; Sein was very clear that Eliot Spencer be brought to him alive."

"You couldn't tell that by the breathing?" Eliot finally looked up on him.

"No need to be cross; I came over to see if there was anything I could do to make you more comfortable."

"You could start by getting outta my face. Controlling the nausea from the concussion is enough work without having to stare at your ugly mug."

"Huh. I guess in that case I should keep these to myself." Sterling held up a pill bottle. "Antibiotics; I could give you a couple, but only if you say the magic word."

"Fuck you." Eliot replied.

"You really are a stupidly stubborn son of a bitch, aren't ya?"

"You're not going to win."

"Oh, I already have." Sterling smirked and walked away.

XXXXXX

"Alright, tickets are set." Hardison told Sophie and Parker. "Here are your passports."

"Mya Nyein?" Sophie questioned.

"Tell me you speak the language?" Hardison asked for the confirmation.

"Oh yeah, I spent a whole winter out in Tailand one year. It was absolutely beautiful."

Parker looked at her confused.

"Same language." She explained.

"Oh." The thief nodded. "How long before we need to be at the airport?"

"Half an hour. Nate said he wanted you on the first flight." Hardison replied.

"What about luggage? I didn't have time to pack…"

"One for each of you." Hardison interrupted Sophie as he pointed out the bags sitting by the door.

"How did you…?" Parker asked.

"I arrived about an hour and half before your flight came in." Hardison told Parker. "Did some shopping and then picked you up."

"Where did Nate run off to?" Sophie asked hoping to catch him before they had to take off.

Hardison pointed to the study down the hall. "He said something about phone calls he needed to make."

"To who?" Sophie questioned.

"Don't know. He's being pretty cryptic, my guess, he doesn't want us to know the details of his plan until he's ironed them out. There's a lot on the line here and he is making sure he doesn't mess it up."

"Yeah, Eliot's life is on the line." Parker commented.

"True, and he knows we'll never forgive him if Eliot doesn't make it and Eliot will never forgive him if we don't use the opportunity he's given us to bring Sterling down." Sophie explained the predicament.

"I'm starting to realize what he meant when he said I don't have what it takes." Hardison stated on the subject of becoming leader of a crew. Nate was sitting between a rock and a hard place. The only way to proceed was to tread lightly.

"I'm going to tell him we're off." Sophie stated before wandering off. She knocked lightly on the door and walked in without answer.

"You're in town? Great! Meet me at the Corner Bistro." Nate said over the phone before hanging up to see Sophie standing over him.

"We're in the middle of a crisis are you're arranging a date?" Sophie accused him.

"What?" Nate looked at her in utter confusion. The jealousy was one thing, but the accusation completely threw him considering he hadn't so much as had a coffee with a woman where it wasn't part of the con since his marriage ended. "You think…?"

"Who is she?" Sophie asked.

"Don't you have a flight to catch?" Nate asked her annoyed.

"I thought you might want to know I was leaving before I, well, left."

Nate shook his head knowing he was acting more callously than he should. "I appreciate that. I was just about to come out…"

"After arranging your date?"

"It is not a date!"

"What's not a date?" Hardison and Parker both asked coming in.

"Oh, I just came in to find Nate setting up a meeting at the Bistro."

"Dude, it's about time you start making a move in some kind of direction, but really, is now the best time?"

"Okay, everyone sit down." Nate demanded. "I'm going to have to do this quickly due to the time constraint but since we already know the back ground I'll skip over that part. Eliot doesn't want us breaking him out until we've taken out Sterling, and I was clear to him that he's not staying in there a moment longer than he needs to. The only way to accomplish this is to pull two cons at the same time in two different countries being one man down."

"That's impossible." Parker remarked.

"Pretty much, but luckily we're not the people on this planet that would get a cozy sense of closure by putting Sterling out of his misery."

"So the call was…?" Sophie questioned.

"Marcus Stark, an old friend of yours, actually; definitely not my type." Nate responded. "We're going to meet to iron out the details but my hope is to be able to distract Sterling with felony insurance fraud charges back in Washington DC while we're breaking out Eliot in Myanmar."


	26. Chapter 26

"How much longer sir?" The guard watching over Eliot asked Stephens, Sterling's number one.

"A couple hours to Istanbul to fuel up and then another eight before reaching Myanmar, why? How's the prisoner holding up?"

"He's drifting in and out, too uncomfortable to stay unconscious for long. Has woken up twice now to coughing spasms bad enough to draw blood."

"Are you feeling sorry for the guy?" Stephens asked the guard.

"He's in rough shape." The guy responded.

"Yeah, well, take a look at his resume." Stephens shoved Eliot's wrap sheet in his hands. "This is nothing compared to the amount of carnage he's caused. If it were up to me I'd say put him out of his misery now, we'd be doing the world a favor."

"Be that as it may the boss wants us to keep this guy alive."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting un-cuffing him and allowing him access to those antibiotics we have on deck." The guard replied.

"He had access; he turned them down, and you have not read that file enough if you think un-cuffing him would be a good idea. Spencer is a trained fighter who's deadly, even on his death bed."

"He's barely conscious and not exactly going anywhere. At the very least can we cuff him to one of the arms rests?"

"You're underestimating him." Stephens warned handing him the key.

"Even if I am, Spencer's not stupid. He has no getaway plan here, any resistance would only cause more physical trauma and he can't afford anymore. Not when facing a lock up in maximum security."

"What was that all about?" Sterling asked Stephens at the mini bar.

"There's doubt that Spencer can make the trip." Stephens answered. "Collins is trying to make him more comfortable."

"You know, there are those within Interpol that see Ford as his crew as the good guys?" Sterling pointed out.

"Not me." Stephens assured him. "They're all criminals, and Spencer's the worst of the bunch."

They watched as Collins took the cuff off Eliot's left arm and found a latch to tie down the right. There was an audible groan from the hitter when his arms were moved from the stiffness of being stuck in position. Afterwards he seemed to settle more comfortably with the right arm propped on the rest and left resting over his aching rib cage.

"Thanks." Eliot muttered. The guard said nothing but wiped off the sweat pouring down from the hitter's forehead. He didn't want to admit it to Sterling but it was hard for him to see the killer he knew Eliot Spencer was.

XXXXX

"I found your phone call intriguing although vague; what's this about taking down James Sterling?" Stark asked over coffee.

"Sterling has finally taken his crusade too far. He's become the power hungry executive that we have a habit of taking down." Nate responded.

"That's great; a big win for those of us that do what we do, but what do you need me for?"

"I couldn't help but think back to our last encounter."

"That didn't exactly run smoothly." Stark reminded him.

"True." Nate nodded. "But how about instead of running two crews on the same job we split it into two separate ones? That's what you do, isn't it? You bring crews together for a job and then go your separate ways."

"Sure, do you have people in mind?"

"Preferably Apollo and Raquel." Nate responded.

"That may be a hard sell; they didn't exactly get the pay out the last time."

"I can offer you a quarter million each that would be transferred to your account to divvy up."

"I'm getting a hint of desperation here, Nate." Stark responded picking up on something he didn't need to be a Grifter to see. "Exactly what is the job, or, shall I say, jobs?"

"My team will be mainly focusing on the prison break while yours is nabbing a piece of priceless art from the Smithsonian."

"Prison break?" Stark asked keying in on those words.

"Cards on the table?" Nate asked him to which Stark nodded. "Sterling has Eliot. He's in route to Myanmar prison as we speak, and only volunteered to go in order to keep the rest of us from suffering the same fate."

"How did you get in the position…?"

"Eliot got sick, and Sterling used that vulnerability to catch us off guard. Honestly, he's been a thorn on our side for too long, but showing up in Eliot's hospital room with threats was too much."

"Hospital room? So, you're not talking about the common cold here?" Stark inferred.

"I wish." Nate shook his head. "No; he's in rough shape, and he's not going to survive if we don't get him out as soon as we can."

"Okay, I… I'm in. I'll contact the others as soon as possible, but how do you see this working?"

"Over the years it's not uncommon for insurance agents to pick up a rare artifact from time to time; a lot of cases there's a fraud situation without proper papers in order to signify an owner so the agent is given ownership. What tends to happen is that agent gets a donation from a gallery or museum to display the artwork, but not without an insurance policy on it."

Stark smiled pretty sure he knew where Nate was going with this.

"Sterling has a Monet, one of his smaller works, displayed at the Smithsonian with a policy of two million dollars. I want you to take it!"

"You want me to take it? Wouldn't that just put another 2mil in Sterling's pocket?"

"No." Nate shook his head. "Not if we convince the authorities that he was behind the robbery."

"How do we do that?" Stark asked to which Nate smirked.


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's note: Hey all, thank you for the fantastic reviews and suggestions. I really do appreciate the comments; if you want to ask me anything in private message I promise to respond. I hope you all continue to enjoy what's coming. I know there's been a few about the length (or lack of with the chapters) and I could make them longer but it'd take longer to post. So…? Which way do you want it? And I hope the pay off in the end is worth all the heart throughout, and for anyone that has said it's made them cry… thank you! That is actually a huge compliment. Enjoy!**

"How do we do this?" Parker asked Sophie once seated in the aircraft. "I don't want to mess anything up."

"You're not going to mess this up." Sophie assured her.

"How do you know? I do that sometimes. I throw crowbars at peoples heads or I give kids the wrong information or I get caught in the building of an arms dealer or… but then he makes it okay."

"Parker…"

"He's the retrieval expert; it shouldn't be him."

"Parker, listen to me. Eliot is going to be fine. Okay? We're going to get to him. Hardison, are you listening to me?"

'Yeah, right with ya.' Hardison said over the com.

"Geez, these things have good range." Sophie commented.

'Thank you!' Hardison expressed.

"Like Nate said, first thing we're going to do is go down to the human resource department at City Hall. While I'm distracting the HR person, Parker I need you to go through the employee directory and find out who they have on duty tomorrow as the legal transcriber."

'What do you need from me?'

"A picture perfect resume with experience in legal transcription and interpretation in Thailand with glowing references."

'You wouldn't be able to provide a couple associates they could call…'

"I may be able to think of one or two." Sophie replied giving him the information.

"What's this supposed to do?" Parker asked her.

"_This? _This is going to get me into the room during Eliot's trial. We'll know first hand where he's going."

"Wait, what about Sterling? He'll recognize you!" Parker argued.

"Sterling is not going to be allowed in the courtroom. Interpol has absolutely no jurisdiction in Myanmar; he'll get his money and be sent on his way." Sophie responded.

'Why don't we just nab him in transport then?' Hardison posed.

Sophie just about choked to the reply. "Sorry, um… no!"

"Why not? I can jump onto the moving truck, break in from the back, I've done it before." Parker volunteered.

"Why not?" Sophie reverberated. "Because this is a military government. They are not going to have mall cop security officers doing the transfer. These are going to be highly trained soldiers. On a good day I don't think even Eliot could take them all out."

"So instead we sit through his trial and watch him get carted off to prison?"

"He'll see us, and he'll know he's not alone. That's the best we can do right now." Sophie replied.

'I'll get you that paperwork. Text me when you land.' Hardison responded before the jet pulled out.

XXXXXX

"How did the meeting go?" Hardison asked as Nate walked through the door.

"It went fine. He's on board, now all we have to do is wait to hear on the others." Nate responded.

"I just got done talking with the girls. They have a solid plan in place to get into the courtroom." Hardison explained as he attacked the computer punching in the information Sophie needed from him.

"That's good; what are you working on?" Nate asked standing over the hacker's shoulder.

"Looking to find a legal resume in the Burmese language." Hardison rolled his eyes.

"Oh, okay. Um… when you're done with that I need you to go through Sterling's financials. See if you can find an account with a substantial deposit recently placed." Nate replied.

"Sure, no problem." He stated sarcastically.

"Hardison, I don't have time for attitude."

"I know." Hardison sighed feeling more alone than ever. "I'm on it."

"Okay then. I'll be in the study if you need anything." Nate announced. He was exhausted having not slept more than a couple hours since finding an unconscious Eliot in his apartment over 48 hours prior. Nate closed the door behind him and spotted the mini bar sitting on the counter. Temptation screamed as his defenses were down. His vision got hazy as the memory of Eliot's monitor flat-lining and pictures of Sam dying criss-crossed in his mind. Before he knew it he was standing in front of the hutch with a glass of bourbon in hand. "Damnit!" Nate screamed and threw the glass across the room before collapsing to the floor in tears. The feeling of total loss of power rushed over him as he realized the one unknown, the one thing he had no control over was the most important piece; Eliot's life.

"Is everything okay in here?" Hardison opened the door to find the leader crouched down on the floor.

Nate sniffled and nodded.

"Nate, man, it's just us. I don't need to you to be brave for me. Everything is obviously _not_ okay, so just tell me!"

"He says he can do this." Nate repeated. "I have to trust that."

"And you don't." Hardison gathered as he sat beside him.

"I can't." Nate attempted to swallow away the lump in his throat. "I want to. I want to trust; I want to believe, but…"

"How was he when you left?"

"He was weak… and tired, but we got some solid food in him and he was drinking fluids. He was resting… sleeping…"

"Nate…"

"What do you want to hear?" The leader screamed out. "No! He's not okay, he's not even close to okay! It was a struggle for him to fucking breathe!... and I let him do it because he said he could, but mostly I relished the idea of taking Sterling down. There it is, my name is Nathan Ford and I'm an addict."  
"Well, it's about time you came to terms with that." Hardison nodded. "But we can't afford you feeling sorry for yourself right now, and Eliot is just as much to blame as you are. In a way we all are, I mean, we all can be accused of being enablers. Nate, I trust that you have a solid plan going; we just need to see it through, and the girls, they… they're gonna see him tomorrow."

"Okay, we're going to get him out!"

"I know." Hardison nodded. "That boy just won't quit; I'm counting on that, but I should get back to work now."

"Yeah."

"Nate…"

"Yeah?"

"Get some sleep." Hardison suggested.


	28. Chapter 28

"Parker, when we land we don't know each other. As soon as we get off I want you to find a kiosk that sells a Burmese/English dictionary and then go down to the baggage claim to get your stuff. Give this to the taxi driver." Sophie said handing a piece of paper with the hotel information on it. "The hotel is only a few blocks away from City Hall; we'll meet there to discuss further strategy."

"Okay." Parker shook her head still a little nervous about messing this up in some way.

"What are you thinking about?" Sophie asked her.

"Everything that could go wrong." Parker admitted. "I have never seen him so weak. I didn't even think it was possible, and now Sterling has him and is doing God knows what…"

"Sterling won't kill him; he can't if he wants the pay out."

"That just means the Myanmar government want to be the ones that does it. What happens if they decide not to send him to prison, but go for the execution instead?"

"Then… we'll stop it." Sophie shook her head.

"How?" Parker questioned.

"I don't know… I… I don't know, but we'll find a way."

"He would dive in front of the bullet if it was any one of us." Parker commented.

Sophie nodded trying to keep herself from crying in front of the young thief. "He would, but he would also have a complete meltdown if anyone did it for him. Well, in that five seconds before they delivered the next shot."

"I wasn't considering it." Parker sheepishly smiled.

"Yes, you were." Sophie smirked.

"Maybe a little, but so were you!"

Sophie sighed. "Maybe."

XXXXXX

"Hardison, where are you at?" Nate asked coming out a bedroom after getting a few hours of sleep.

"I've been digging through Sterling's financials, like you asked. Um… I found the first transfer, you want me to do anything with it?"

"Nothing yet; just keep an eye on it for me. How soon do you think you can make up a couple more ear buds?"

"I have some with me; it would just take a little fiddling around to get the range we're looking for."

"Good; how soon can you have that ready?" Nate questioned.

"Twenty minutes." Hardison looked down at his watch.

Nate nodded. "Hardison, about earlier…"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Hardison smirked.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Any word on the others?"

Nate had just gotten off the phone with Stark before coming out. "They're in. Apollo will be meeting Stark in DC after making a quick stop, and Raquel is in route to Myanmar as we speak."

"She's…?"

"She has a history of working for the government; we're going to see if we can use that to get placed as security inside the prison. This wont be a one man… ah… person operation to get him out, but it wouldn't hurt having someone on the inside looking out for him until we can come up with something."

"No, I'm with ya. I think it's a great idea. Even if she has no contact with Eliot she can provide us information about the security system and rotation that we won't get from blue prints."

"Agreed." Nate nodded watching Hardison fiddle with his technology. He had an extra case of ear buds inside his computer case. "Once you're done with that let me know. I want to bring them to Stark so he can fly out of here."

"Shouldn't take long; just a few minor adjustments. You know, I just wish people got fixed up this easily. A little screw here, and little data entry there, and tada! Good as new." He threw the leader an ear bud.

"If only…" Nate set it down before walking off.

XXXXX

Eliot sat forward in his chair wheezing in order to catch his breath back. The stop to refuel served as a nice reprieve from the continual pressure placed on his head from altitude, but there was very little he could do to control the fluid build-up accumulating in his lungs.

"Here." Collins handed him a glass of water. Eliot nodded and took a sip, careful to send it down the correct tube. "I also snatched these out of Sterling's bag."

"You don't have to do this." Eliot rasped looking down at the pills in front of him.

"Yeah, I do. You seem like the sort of person that would do the same thing." Collins told him urging Eliot to take them with his glance.

"They're not wrong. I am a killer." Eliot responded before sipping on the water to help him swallow the antibiotics.

"What makes you think I'm not? I was stationed in Germany for two years before war broke out in the Middle East. I served a tour in both Afghanistan and Iraq before going to Interpol." Collins explained. "I've seen the best and the worst in people, out there we do what we do to survive."

"Some people don't understand that. They can't, and I don't blame them for it."

"My orders are to secure the transfer to Myanmar, and make sure you get there alive. That's what I intend to do."

Eliot nodded his appreciation as a sign of mutual respect. "Thanks again for the drugs."

"Mr. Sterling was right about your stubborn streak, but I don't think I could look that dimwit in the face and say 'please' either."

Eliot chuckled to the response before lying back and closing his eyes.


	29. Chapter 29

Sophie walked up to City Hall with a brief case in hand wearing a tailored business suit, a pair of glasses and jewelry distinctive of South Asia. She chatted up some locals in native tongue asking for directions to the human resource department a young man gladly showed her the way as Parker tip-toed behind trying to look inconspicuous. As she did she was stopped by someone spouting some kind of gibberish to her to which Parker simply shrugged.

"Bathroom?" She asked casually.

The lady nodded and pointed down the hall.

"That way?" Parker confirmed and continued her path yelling back. "Thank you!"

Once it appeared Sophie found the correct office Parker ducked around the corner to watch for clearance that the Grifter had positioned her mark out of the way.

"Hardison?" Parker whispered.

'What can I do for you, babe?'

"When I plug this thing into the computer you're going to do your hacker translation thing, right?"

'That's right, just plug it in and follow my lead.'

"That I can do as long as you don't ramble. You can be pretty obnoxious about the rambling sometimes."

'I do not ramble; I give the information needed at the time with a slight bit of flare to keep it interesting.' Hardison defended himself.

"You ramble." Sophie coughed causing Parker to grin. Sophie effortlessly went back into conversation with the HR rep.

'Don't you have work to be doing?' Hardison asked Sophie annoyed. Within minutes Sophie had the HR person convinced that she needed an immediate appointment with the Attorney General for an interview. As she left Parker slipped into the office and plugged the hardware into the USB port.

"You're in." Parker declared. Hardison went through the information with his translation software.

'Okay babe, you should be seeing a folder marked 'schedules'.'

"Okay." Parker clicked on it. "It looks like tomorrow the transcriber is a Hlaing Tun."

'Good.' Hardison replied. 'Now I need you to go into the employee directory and jot down that name and address.'

"I'm a hacker." Parker smiled as she clicked into the directory and scrolled down to find the Ts.

'You are not a hacker.' Hardison replied annoyed. 'Clicking into folders on a desktop certainly does not a hacker make.'

"But I'm doing the computer thing." She responded in her own patronizing way. "I got it, we're set."

'Give me a minute to reset it…' Hardison requested. 'The bottom left corner there should be the USB icon, click on it. It's going to ask if you want to remove hardware.'

"Yep."

'Hit yes. Once it says it's safe to remove…'

"Got it!" Parker replied.

'Now find the nearest exit and without setting off any alarms make your way back to the hotel.' He instructed. Parker found a door in the back and made her way through without tracking any attention and then power walked her to the hotel watching armored vehicles drive down the streets part of her wondering if Eliot was on one of them. She knew it was improbable due to the time it took to get from Boston to Myanmar, but she could only imagine he would transported from the airport to a holding cell on base until standing trial the following day.

XXXXXX

"I brought you presents." Nate smirked as he sat down next to Stark at a pub.

"Make it two." Stark told the bartender.

"Oh no, I couldn't…"

"Come on." Stark invited. "Don't you want to celebrate two minds working cohesively as one?"

Nate shook his head knowing he was going to regret his answer to that. "Okay, but just one, and by the way, I… I'm heading this operation."

"It's all yours just as long as in the end…"

"You'll get your pay out." Nate guaranteed. "And on that note I should give you this."

"What's…?" Stark looked at the plastic in his hands.

"Oh, come on Stark, don't tell me you've never seen a charge card before?" He teased before thanking the waitress that put the drink down in front of him.

"I'm fully aware of what a charge card is; I'm just trying to figure out why I have one in my hands with your name on it."

"That would be because the only way to draw Sterling back to the stateside is to make him believe that I'm there." Nate replied. "So, when I give you the say-so…"

"I frequent a couple bars with your card and raise the flags that you've found your way out of hiding."

"Exactly. Sterling will come running, and the next thing he knows the Smithsonian is broken into."

"Glad to finally have you on our side." Stark patted Nate's shoulder.

"I'm not…. Oh, who the hell am I kidding?" Nate pondered as he took a drink. "These are what we discussed."

Stark took the ear buds from Nate. "Are you sure they have the range?"

"Hardison guarantees it; he put some finishing touches on them this afternoon."

"Okay, where are you going to be stationed?"

"I'm going to stay here until I know for sure where they're transporting him. Have you gotten any reports from Raquel?"

"Yeah, she called the Prime Minister himself to tell him she in town for a while looking for an assignment. He definitely interested, now she's just holding off until trial."

"Good." Nate nodded. "And Apollo has the PO Box?"

"It's taken care of." Stark assured him before slamming his drink. He had checked his watch to see that it was time to go. "Take care Nate, I'll let you know when I land."

Nate nodded.

"Refill?" The waitress asked him.

"Sure." He said after a long sigh.

XXXXX

"Spencer." Collins gently nudged him.

"What?" The hitter replied weakly.

"We're about to land. I need to put the cuffs back on, but first I thought you could use another dose." He put the pills on the tray with a glass of water sitting in front of him. Eliot did as suggested grabbing the pills and finishing the glass allowing the tray to be set back into position. Collins reached back to unlock the cuff from the armrest and Eliot voluntarily placed his arms behind his back to allow for the re-cuffing.

"How did you know?" Eliot asked the guard.

"Know what?"

"That you could trust me; that I was the kind of guy that you thought I was?"

"Not many people would tell their team to abandon them to protect them from surrender. Besides, I saw the way you took Carter down. You could have snapped his neck right then and there but you didn't."

"I would have been a dead man if I did." Eliot argued.

"No; no you wouldn't. The prime minister wants you alive and Sterling is too greedy not to collect on the bounty. That was an exercise in restraint."

"I don't particularly enjoy killing." Eliot admitted.

"I know. Rest up if you can." Collins suggested. He could only imagine how cold and damp the holding cell would be; probably the worst place they could place someone suffering from pneumonia and he could only guess they wouldn't have him on a regular prescription of antibiotics either.

"I really do appreciate…"

"Don't; it was nothing, really."

"Kay." Eliot replied.


	30. Chapter 30

'Alright Sophie, give me some good news.' Nate said over the com once she was back at the hotel.

"The job is set and Ms. Tun and her fiancé have a week long cruise to the Philippians taking off tonight." Sophie bragged. "I should be getting a call any minute about my availability tomorrow."

"How can we be so sure you're going to be the one that they call?" Parker questioned.

"Because they are trying an American; it's policy to have translators there…"

"Even if he speaks the language?" Parker asked.

Sophie nodded. "Yes. They're going to want a transcriber that can translate on paper, but Nate when I'm doing this I'm going to have to ask to not have voices in my head."

'That's fine; I was planning on having Parker listening on anyway.' Nate responded.

'How do we plan on getting her into the court room?' Hardison asked.

'Through the air vent.' Nate replied.

Parker smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that."

'All you have to do is listen to the translator and relay back any pertinent information.' Nate directed.

"How will I know if it's pertinent?" She questioned; she didn't have a great track record of knowing what 'normal' people thought to be important.

'The verdict and the sentence would be a good place to start.' Nate commented. 'Other than that just make sure nobody knows you're there. That includes Eliot. He's going to be pissed enough that Sophie is there.'

'Yeah, well… he's a stubborn jerk that's just going to have to get over himself. He should know by now that we're not going to let him sit in there to rot.' Hardison interjected.

"How are we coming on the other project?" Sophie asked attempting to let cooler heads prevail.

'Apollo already has a pretty good layout of the Smithsonian, but they're going to do recon of the exhibit tomorrow to figure out what kind of equipment they would need, and then it's a matter of drawing Sterling out and playing him the fool.'

'Too bad we can't get a front row seat to that.' Hardison snickered. 'I'd pay good money.'

"I'd trade the Rosalyn for that sight." Parker sighed.

'I'd give just about anything to stick around for that gloat myself, but that doesn't include Eliot's safety. So if I need to restructure how we're doing things I need to know this now.' Nate insisted.

"No; I'm not leaving this country without him." Parker replied.

"That makes two of us." Sophie added.

'I go wherever you say you need me.' Hardison offered.

"That's my phone going off." Sophie said hearing ring tone across the room. She popped her bud out to take the call that no one else would understand anyway.

'Parker, tomorrow, you're going to be okay doing that, right?' Nate asked for assurance.

"Sure." She responded not sure what he was getting at.

'It's not going to be easy to sit back and watch and not try to do something.'

"I understand that and I don't want to put him in a situation where he's going to be in more danger. I know that place is packed with military; I saw it for myself."

Nate nodded taking a sip of the whiskey he got from the mini bar. 'I don't want to alarm you, but I need to be completely honest. He's been in transport all day; he'll be in a holding cell all night doubtfully with any medication, and probably mishandled through delivery.'

"You don't need to draw me a picture." Parker replied.

'I think I do. Parker, I need you to be mentally prepared for this.'

"I'll be fine." She assured him.

'Okay; make sure to get a good night's sleep. It's getting late there.'

"Yes daddy." Parker joked. She was about to go to bed after Sophie got off the phone. It had been a long day and the thief was getting exhausted. "Are you going to read me a story?"

XXXXX

"Where is he?" Sein asked Sterling in decent from the aircraft.

"Inside." Sterling pointed behind him. "He's a little worst for wear."

"As long as there's still some fight left for my men to beat out of him." Sein responded pointing to the muscle behind him.

"Of course." Sterling grinned. "I think there's just one more order of business to attend to."

"Bring me my prisoner, you get your money." The prime minister responded.

Sterling shrugged. "Bring him out." He ordered.

Two of the guards ushered him to ground level facing off in front of Sein. Eliot was slouched with his head hanging down.

"Welcome back, Spencer!" Sein grabbed his hair jerking his head back to make eye contact.

"Glad to know you missed me." Eliot responded.

"There was one thing I had hoped to do since your last departure." Sein insisted. Giving no time to respond he thrust his forearm into Eliot's ribcage hearing a loud crack as two ribs caved to the pressure. Eliot was able to bite down the groan as he hunched forward but could do little to disguise the shallow breaths he was forced to take. The prime minister tossed him to the side and Eliot being unable to brace himself landed hard, and then shouted orders in native tongue to his men who dragged Eliot to the armored vehicle before turning his attention back to Sterling. "Excuse that, I hope none of your men carry a weak stomach."

"No worries; about that matter we discussed?"

"Of course." Sein took out his cell and punched in a few keys. "It's done."

"Wonderful." Sterling smirked with the confirmation.

"Now that concludes our business." Sein bowed slightly and started to walk away.

"Interpol would like to be in on the proceedings." Sterling replied.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sterling, that will not be possible. Make yourself at home in my country if you would like, but from here on out what happens to the prisoner is of no consequence to you."

"I disagree…"

"You got your money. We are done now." Sein walked off to his car. His driver holding the door open for the Prime Minister to approach.

"What now?" Stephens asked Sterling.

"You heard him, make ourselves at home. It won't be long before Ford shows himself."

XXXXXX

"That's it; they got him." Hardison said to Nate as he watched the transfer pop into Sterling's account.

"Are you sure?" Nate questioned.

"Oh yeah, a quarter of a million dollars sure."

"Okay." Nate slammed down a shot.

"Nate…" Hardison replied cautiously noticing the amount of liquor dissipate throughout the evening.

"Don't… okay, just don't."

"If you think you can lead two cons…"

"I'll be fine." Nate interrupted.

XXXXX

After getting dragged through the base like a rag doll Eliot's head was bashed into the iron bars within the cell before the shackles were removed and he was thrown onto the fraying cot they had passing for a bed. There was no blanket or pillow, but as the darkness closed in around him that didn't matter. The last thing he heard was the clank of the cell door closing and the chime of the lock being placed before a heavenly numbness engulfed him.


	31. Chapter 31

The sun had yet to rise when Eliot was woken up by his own shivering which wouldn't have been as disconcerting if he weren't lying on a puddle of his own sweat. He was fully aware that his fever was peaking at dangerously high temperatures, but there was nothing he could do but attempt to breathe through with pneumonia filled lungs and broken ribs scraping together each time he inhaled. There was no relief to the pain as every position he tried awakened a new twinge or ache. He finally resolved to lying on his left side while cradling his ribs with his right arm.

'Come on sissy, suck it up.' He grunted to himself breathing shallowly. He had known what he was getting himself into the moment he made the offer to surrender; he also knew this was only the beginning and it was going to get worse from here. The thing keeping him going was the team; they were safe, and that was what mattered. As easy as it would have been for him to just stop and give in to the pain and the illness he knew that they would never get over it. Instead he closed his eyes and hung onto the visions of his 'family' to keep him going.

He wasn't sure how long he had been drifting off when a guard approached his cell. The guy didn't say anything only threw some clean clothes through the bars for him to change into before trial. With it was a wash rag which Eliot assumed was to be used to wipe himself down with using the water from the sink sitting next to the toilet bowl.

Eliot bit his lip as he struggled to push himself to a sitting position taking a victory moment to pant to the exertion utilized afterwards. Then, staring down the ten foot distance from himself to the sink, he had to contemplate his ability to walk over and stand long enough to essentially sponge bathe himself. Eliot decided on option number two which consisted of pushing the cot across the room to rest his weight against. The act of bringing the sweatshirt over his brought a searing pain to his side however allowed his access to assess the damage himself.

'That's a pretty shade of purple.' He scoffed and figured the bruise over his left eye looked about the same. The cool water draped over his fevered skin felt better than expected but he was left with an ever present chill that the slacks and button up top didn't serve to dissipate. Once he was dressed he collapsed his body forward propping his head up with the arm resting on his knee, the other securely placed around his midsection.

XXXXX

Parker watched as Sophie got ready for the day. She had never sat back and taken the time to truly appreciate the consideration it took to put together an outfit and adornments necessary to create a character for a con. Whenever she played a part Sophie would lay something out for her, but suddenly she became fully aware of the risk if the mark didn't fully believe the story that was being sold and how everything played together to create that persona.

"Are you going to be able to talk to him?" Parker asked standing outside the bathroom as the Grifter applied her make-up.

"I doubt it; they're not going to leave him unguarded." Sophie replied.

"How do you suppose he's going to look?" The thief questioned. "I know Nate was trying to prepare me last night, but… we've seen him beat up before."

"We have." Sophie nodded. "If we're lucky he won't look that much worse than he did leaving Nebraska, maybe a couple shades paler."

"If we're not lucky?"

"Parker, I don't know, okay. Right now I just need to be Mya Nyein, transcription extraordinaire."

Parker nodded and walked off finding some cherios sitting above the mini fridge. "Did you…?"

"I picked a couple things up on my way back last night." Sophie replied.

Parker dug out some milk and prepared herself a bowl. "Thanks."

"Are you going to be able to find your way through okay?"

"Yeah, it's a basic structure. Once I get in I head South East to the main court room." Parker explained.

"I need to check in early. I'll have the com on up until trial starts." Sophie explained.

"Okay." Parker replied somberly. "I'll wake up the boys before walking over."

"Just watch…"

"Watch out for Sterling, I got it." Parker assured her. "Now go and be the best Mya Nyein you can be."

Sophie snickered before closing the door behind her. Parker looked at the time knowing with a five and a half hour difference Hardison and Nate would still be asleep. She turned the television on and flipped through the stations looking for something she could watch without subtitles, unfortunately to know avail.


	32. Chapter 32

There was something about crawling through air vents that typically had a way of lifting Parker's spirits. She liked the adrenaline that came from lifting a valued item; she was comforted in knowing that there was something out there that she was the best at. With all the awkwardness she felt in social interaction, up there, in that vent, she felt truly at home. Unfortunately that day something was off. As she closed near to her designation she dreaded it. Parker wanted to find the nearest corner and stay there because as much as she told Nate she could handle what she was about to see, she knew she was wrong.

'Parker, talk to me.' Nate insisted through the com.

"Almost there." She replied.

'Babe, I can just about hear your heartbeat from here. Is everything alright?' Hardison questioned her.

She nodded her head forgetting they couldn't hear that.

'Parker…?' Nate questioned again.

"I'm not the one we need to be worried about." She answered.

'If there's anything you need to get out, now is the time to do it.' Nate warned.

"I'm scared." She replied softly. "What if he doesn't show up? What if he can't?"

'He'll show.' Nate assured her. 'He promised to get through this; he told me that the thought of taking Sterling down was enough to keep him alive.'

"There's only so much the body can take." Parker argued. That thought plagued her unconscious most of the night. The last time she had seen Eliot he was worst for wear but getting full medical attention. Within 24 hours that was taken away and he was left to fend for himself.

'Hey sweetie, how badly do you want to see Sterling fall?' Hardison asked her.

An evil grin entered her face with an audible giggle.

'Okay, now multiply that feeling by like a hundred. Eliot is not leaving us; he wouldn't give that piece of shit the satisfaction.' Hardison continued.

After a long pause they finally heard her voice. "I'm in place."

'What do you see?' Nate asked her.

"I see Sophie at her desk talking with the translator. The prosecutor is present as is the attorney general; both looking like this is just a formality." She described.

'It really just is.' Nate said bringing the Irish coffee to his lips.

"The door just opened." Parker explained. "Everyone is looking back." She caught the look of anguish on the grifter's face and Parker's heart just about dropped. "It's him."

'How bad?' Nate said not really wanting to hear the answer.

"He hasn't entered my field of vision; bad enough for Sophie to momentarily break character. Nobody else saw it though." She turned away briefly, closing her eyes hoping to hold off looking just a couple seconds longer.

'Parker…?' This time it was Hardison that asked.

The defense attorney had sat down first as two soldiers brought Eliot in shackled until seated.

"Parker…!' That tone was definitely Nate's.

XXXXXX

Eliot walked the length of the courtroom focusing on one thing and that was placing one foot in front of the other until he reached his seat and could refocus and circulating oxygen through his system. He did his best to not let off how awful he was feeling but as soon as the shackles were removed he grasped the bridge of his nose to attempt to stop the throbbing and hold himself upright. It was a good minute of sitting there to keep the room from spinning before he could focus enough to reacquaint himself with his surroundings. He scanned the room briefly to get an idea of who was who. His defense attorney still hadn't said a word to him, but there was really nothing to say. Eliot was to be charged with crimes against the country that had been well documented. There was no point of answering to anything but a guilty plea. It certainly didn't matter to anyone in that room that what he had done was to protect countrymen of inhumane treatment; the same sort of treatment he was willingly putting himself through now.

As he was looking around he caught something that forced him to do a double-take. He blinked a couple times to make sure the fever hadn't gotten to the point of delirium, knowing that was a definite possibility, but as he looked at her, Sophie gazed back with an expression that read 'everything is going to be okay, we're here now.' He turned away not wanting her to see him; not like that. Nobody could read him like Sophie could. It had been one thing when the team saw him strapped to the hospital bed with a tube stuffed down his throat to breathe, but at least he had been unconscious through that. He didn't have to see that look of worry; that utter fear. He was supposed to protect them, not scare them.

XXXXXX

'Parker, say something.' Hardison urged.

"We have to do something." She replied almost frantic.

'What's wrong?'

"We can pass him a note, tell him to collapse at the end of trial, they'd be forced to take to the hospital… we can break him out there. We'll steal the hospital, we've done it before. Sophie can go as a doctor, and…" Parker rambled.

'They wouldn't take him to the hospital.' Nate argued. 'Parker, just slow down, how bad is it?'

She inhaled deeply, exhaling slowly before answering. "Half of his face is swollen, and nothing in nature should be that color except flowers, fruit and minerals. He's struggles to walk in a straight line and is favoring his right side… He winces every time he takes a breath. He's having a hard keep his head up without support. At the same time he's shivering there's beads of sweat sitting on his temples."

'Okay.' Nate finally said breaking the silence.

'Okay? Are you fucking kidding me?' Hardison swore. 'No; no, I'm with Parker. We need to come up with something else. This plan of putting him in prison as we check out blue prints and figure out the staff rotation ain't gonna cut it!'

"It's all we have." Nate responded.

'There has to be something else.' Parker pleaded to the leader. She didn't know what but that was his job to figure out.

'Believe it or not the least secure location they're going to have is the prison. They leave the prisoners in rough enough shape that they don't particularly need a lot of security…'

"Not helping." Parker interrupted.

'Has he seen Sophie?' Nate asked.

"Yeah, he doesn't look thrilled to see her. He doesn't even want to look at her."

'It's the other way around.' Nate explained thinking back to the way he felt about Maggie pitying him. 'Eliot doesn't want her to look at him.'

"It's about to start." Parker whispered noticing everyone move to their places. The bailiff came forward to encourage everyone to stand. Eliot used the table to push himself upright. The judge was called in, and the attendants were invited to sit and even that seemed to take the hitter three times as long as it normally would have to accomplish.

The case number was read before the list of charges was presented, but Parker had spaced out in listening instead trying to think of her own plot to get Eliot out and to the medical attention he so desperately needed.

'What's happening?' Hardison asked.

"The lawyer is trying to explain what a bad guy Eliot is for rebelling against a Government that's taking its civil liberties away from its people." Parker stated only half paying attention to the translator. "And now the judge is asking Eliot for his answer."

"Guilty." She thought she heard Eliot say. His voice obviously strained, but apparently he said it loud enough for both the translator and judge hear.

With the guilty plea the case was left into the judges hands for sentencing. Eliot knew if he did enter in a non-guilty response trial would have commenced immediately and reached to the same point; instead he just saved himself an hour of sitting through the evidence presentation.

"Insein." Parker repeated from the translator.

'Huh?' Hardison asked.

"The sentence; life in Insein prison."

Hardison plugged the information into his laptop. 'Oh, this is not good.' He showed Nate a page full of articles related to disease outbreaks, torture, and brutality on the google search.

'It's close enough that you can stay where you are. Parker, I want you and Sophie to go to check out the public library right away.' Nate instructed.

**Authors note: If you're not faint of heart, Google it, I dare ya! Keep the reviews coming! I'll be moving this weekend, will try to do what I can to keep posting, but may be out of internet access for a couple days. 3 Becki **


	33. Chapter 33

Nate picked up the keys to the rental and started heading towards the door when Hardison stopped him.

"You need some company?" The hacker asked knowing that Nate had already gone through a quarter of a bottle of whiskey in his coffee that morning.

Nate shook his head and proceeded forward. "You have work to do. That place is a fortress; hack into whatever Government files you can find, anything that'll help locate a way in and out."

"And you're going to do what?"

"Make a couple calls, run a few errands and arrange flights over there."

"Is that the best idea?" Hardison questioned him with infuriated Nate but he did what he could to hold off his display.

"Don't start questioning me now?"

'I didn't' Hardison murmured. He was questioning the plan from the get-go, but the one thing he knew was that a drunk Nate was not going to make the situation they were in any better. "Just be careful; we don't have the time or the manpower to go rescuing your inebriated ass."

Nate snickered impressed with the way the young man was standing up to him. "Now you're sounding like Eliot."

"Somebody's gotta; he's the only one with half a chance of getting through to you. Of course, that's kind of why were in this position, isn't it?"

"What would you have done?" Nate threw back at Hardison. "You keep talking about one day running your own team; how would _you_ have handled it?"

"Grabbed Eliot from the hospital and ran, the same way the rest of us did." Hardison replied. "We could have changed his identity, but him up in a safe house with an IV anywhere. This is asinine."

"That's precisely why you're not ready yet. Eliot wasn't going to make it through airport security anywhere without raising suspicion. If we would have taken the van Sterling would have had it traced. Eliot wasn't lying when he said he couldn't run. He couldn't go anywhere without Interpol being able to follow, and he certainly couldn't drive anywhere alone which means he'd be putting one of us in harms way which he won't do."

"You don't have a private pilot that owed you a favor?" Hardison questioned.

"No one that could be available in less than 24 hours." Nate responded. "Hardison, you follow your heart, you and Sophie both, and in a lot of ways that's invaluable to this team, but to see the big picture you need to you use something else. Eliot gets that; if you think I listen to him more, that's why."

"So it's not just a case of the prodigal son?" Hardison smirked.

"I gotta go." Nate replied with a smile once he had Hardison pacified for the moment.

XXXXXXX

"The sentence is in." Stephens told Sterling.

"And?" Sterling questioned.

"A life sentence in one of the most corrupt prisons in the world. The guys are putting bets in as to how long they think he's going to last. You want in?"

"What's yours?" Sterling snickered.

"I said 64 hours, but then Rafe put in 63 and Carl 70, the jerks!"

"Is this unconsciousness or full heart stopping, stone cold dead?"

"Dead." Stephens answered.

"Hell… put me in for 55; Any movement with Nate?" Sterling questioned.

"Nothing yet. Do you think it's possible that they really did disband?"

"No." Sterling shook his head. "No; that man is plotting something; I guarantee it. Although I think they may be overestimating Spencer's invulnerability. Let's hope the mice come out to play before he kicks the bucket."

"Sir…" Carl came to the door.

"Don't you knock?" Sterling glared at him.

"Sorry, sir, I ran that trace on Ford's credit card and you'll never guess where he's been."

"And I don't have time to, so why don't you just tell me?" Sterling sneered.

"He's in DC."

"What?" Sterling questioned. "No, that has to be a lay-over or something. Find all the flights you can from Washington to South Asia."

"That was my first thought, but looking at the charges he started at the airport and settled from there at Finnegan's where he looks to have a running tab going."

"He's been silent for 24 hours and then all of the sudden takes his credit card out at the bar down the street from Interpol?" Stephens pointed out the coincidence. "This is a trap. He's baiting you."

"Oh yeah he is, but he really is spiraling if he thinks he can pull one over me alone and drunk. This is going to be entertaining."

"What are you doing?" Stephens asked watching him pack.

"I'm going to sit back and enjoy the show. He's gunning for revenge; hell, I won't miss that. I get to be right there when we put the cuffs on him and haul him off."

"What about Spencer?" Stephens questioned.

"What about him? He won't last long. Put those two on Insein duty. If they see any of the others loitering around, bring them in. If they resist, shoot them." Sterling pointed to the guys in the kitchen playing cards.

XXXXXX

"Parker!" Sophie called out in the hotel room. "Come on Parker, I saw you come in, where are you?"

She looked around for any sign of the absent thief.

"Parker, we don't have time for this. Eliot doesn't have time for this."

Sophie listened carefully believing she heard noises from the ceiling and then looked around for the entrance to the vent, finding it over by the bathroom she walked over and opened it a crack.

"If you don't come out, I'm coming in." Sophie warned and then looked at his awkwardly wondering how Parker managed to scoot into the thing. "I mean it!"

With that Parker dropped down from the ceiling onto a mattress; her eyes obviously red and puffy.

"You've been crying."

"No." Parker sniffled not getting that Sophie wasn't asking.

"It's okay to cry." The older woman assured her. "God, I know I wanted to."

"We left him, again! It seems like every time we do it just gets worse. There's going to be nothing left."

"I know what you're saying, but we didn't leave him. We have somebody there, somebody that's going to watch out for him until you and I can find a way in. So that's what we need to do right now. I need you to break into the restricted section of the library and steal us some blue prints."

"Can I repel from something?" Parker asked feeling some need to let out endorphins.

"Sure." Sophie shrugged.

XXXXXX

"She wanted to see him." Eliot heard the guard say as he was dragged through the compound.

"Isn't that a treat?" The other guard snickered before throwing him in what looked to be an interrogation room. "It was nice knowing you Spencer."

Eliot landed hard against the cement floor and tried pushing himself up before hacking violently in attempt to gain breath.

"Eliot." He heard a familiar voice, although his body stiffened as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Eliot, just sit back."

He did as commanded and rested his back against the wall attempting to focus on the brunette in front of him.

"I thought Nate might have been exaggerating." She said placing the back of her hand on his forehead. She reached into a back pocket causing him to tense again, ready to strike if needed. "Hey! Easy boy. I'm not going to hurt you. It's me, Raquel, Raquel Dayan, you remember?"

He nodded slightly not wanting to wake the pounding migraine. "What are you doing here?"

"At the moment? Providing you with some antibiotics, here, can you swallow dry?"

Eliot nodded and took them from her hand hoping that he would find the correct one of the three he saw stretched out.

"By the looks of it, you needed to be rescued, like, yesterday. Unfortunately we can't just make a break for it, but your team is working on a way out. Until then I'm going to see what I can do about keeping you going."

"They need to worry about Sterling." He rasped.

"Oh, don't worry, the slime ball will pay, but Eliot when we're out there I can't make it look like I'm favoring anyone."

He nodded understanding what she was saying.

"Just, do me a favor and sell it, okay?"

He nodded again.

"And at some point you're going to have to explain to me what the hell you thought you were doing." She warned him; the idea of selling himself out to sheer brutality with a completely foreign concept to her.


	34. Chapter 34

**Author's note: Sorry for the delay, the move went well but am still out internet access until next Friday, currently sitting at a coffee shop with WiFi and will post when possible, but I'm still writing. I continue to enjoy the reviews and yes, I am listening, I promise! For those E/P fans out there I will leave you to interpret this however you see fit ;-) Thanks for the responses. **

"I just got the update from Hardison that Sterling has bought the bait and is on his way back to DC as we speak." Nate told Stark over the ear bud.

'These things are great, where do get them?' Stark responded.

"Get them?" Hardison replied offended. "We don't 'get them' anywhere. There is no mail order state-of-the-art communicatory device website for which you can find this much ingenious built into the product. This, my friend…"

"Hardison, enough." Nate cut him off. "How did the recon go?"

'No problems there. Apollo is fairly certain he can take this heist in his sleep as long as Mr. Ingenious over there messes with the security feed…'

"No problem, mon." Hardison smirked with a Jamaican accent.

"That's not going to be an issue just lead Sterling to Finnegan's, but don't let him see you. Once the grab is done I'll get that first transfer over to you." Nate promised.

'Nate, you know I'm doing this all for the money?' Stark commented.

"I certainly hope not." Nate replied taking a sip from the drink he had gotten at a nearby pub. "The cash you could probably pocket from that piece is over double what I'm offering you, and I'm asking you to hand it back."

'That hasn't gone unnoticed.' Stark replied.

"I don't have to tell you what would happen if you plotted a double cross?" Nate warned.

'I'd me more worried about what Raquel would have in store; she's taken a certain affinity to your boy. Don't worry; we have a common goal here.' Stark assured him.

"Hardison and I will be flying out within the hour if you need anything contact Sophie; you do still have that information?"

'Oh, I'm sure I have it somewhere.' Stark snickered.

"Right." Nate responded with a tad of territoriality in his voice. "Just make contact when you spot him."

'Sure thing. Anything else?'

"No; not yet."

XXXXXX

"Come in." Sophie invited Raquel into the hotel room as soon as her shift ended at the prison.

"How is he?" Parker asked right off the bat.

"You guys are well aware that he should be in a hospital right now?" Raquel dodged the answer.

"Dewily noted." Sophie responded. "Were you able to talk to him?"

Raquel nodded. "As you can imagine he's not exactly Mr. Chatty at the moment."

"And that's different from the standard grumbling and cursing, how?" Parker remarked.

"The flight went okay; he um… took a hit that knocked him out for the first couple hours. Otherwise it was just not being able to get up and move around for almost 20 hours straight. The guard he had on him was actually a decent guy that did what he could to make him as comfortable as possible; managed to sneak him some antibiotics behind Sterling's back."

"That's encouraging." Sophie commented

"He didn't give a whole lot of added information; my guess is that he didn't fair as well in the transfer."

"What's the damage?" Parker questioned fearing the same thing from the look of things in the courtroom.

"Aside from the pneumonia?" She asked catching Sophie's nod. "He has a sizeable concussion; two broken ribs and couple more cracked. I was able to sneak in an ace wrap into his laundry. Hopefully he can get those bound before he has a punctured lung to contend with."

"You're kidding, right?" Parker questioned her.

"I wish." Raquel responded. "No; if he takes another decent strike to the midsection that bacteria is the last thing he's going to have to worry about. However; I was able to get him his own cell."

"How did you manage that?" Sophie questioned impressed; it would make breaking him out that much easier.

"I told the truth. Eliot is on survival mode; he's lethal."

"Wait…" Parker responded. "Wouldn't that just make him more of a target?"

"You make it sound like he's some kind of animal." Sophie commented.

"In a sense…" Raquel nodded thinking back to the way he tensed up every time she approached him. "He's kind of in a permanent fight or flight mode right now; just like a diamondback coiled up with its rattle shaking, if you approach the wrong way one strike could be deadly. He doesn't have that control he normally carries; he can't afford to."

"So the best thing for everybody is just to leave him alone." Parker said hopeful.

"Preferably, but the guards there are brutal; they get there jollies from seeing inmates squirm. They're looking to break them physically and mentally and won't fight fair to do it."

Sophie did what she could to shake away the mental image of Eliot being bound and beaten into submission. She knew for a fact that he'd never tap out, never surrender. They'd have to kill him before breaking him.

"In order to prevent some of that; I've established that he's my project."

"Meaning what?" Sophie questioned.

"You mean you get to be the one that beats the crap out of him?" Parker inferred.

"Meaning I make it look like I'm beating the crap out of him." Raquel clarified.

"That's insane." Sophie muttered.

"No; what's insane is letting a guy turn himself over to a country that wants to torture him about two days after his heart stopped beating!" Raquel argued.

"Let him?" Parker questioned. "You obviously don't know Eliot at all if you think we 'let him' do anything."

"Oh right, I'm sure he was kicking and screaming his way to surrender to the Myanmar government… Did any one of you offer…?"

"A government you seem a little too cushy with…!" Parker accused.

"Enough! Both of you!" Sophie stopped them. "This isn't helping. Ms. Dayan, we appreciate everything you're doing to look out for him. The plan has always been to get him out as soon as we possibly can, so if there's anything you can tell us about the security it'd be beneficial."

Parker rolled her eyes before taking a seat on the other side of the room from the female hitter.

"Assuming you can get yourself in there, security is pretty tight. Shifts are rotated in such a way that there's always two people on per unit. Rounds are done hourly, but not on a specific schedule."

"There's a tunnel." Parker spoke up looking at the information they had brought back from the library. "It hasn't been used in over a decade, and it's likely there are sections that have caved in a bit, but I can check out the maneuverability."

"I don't know, Parker, it sounds dangerous."

"And what Eliot is doing isn't? You…" Parker pointed walking towards Raquel with the blueprints. "Where is his cell?"

"Um…." Raquel studied the thing trying to picture it from the inside. Her finger traced over the path she took in order to get into the compound to locate his unit. "It's… there."

"You sure?" Parker asked her, unimpressed with the initial hesitancy.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

Without responding Parker left the conversation to get a pack together.

"Nate asked me to give this to you." Sophie handed Raquel in ear bud.

"Thanks; but I'm not going to wear it in there. I mean, not until we figure out when we're going to do this."

"Understood." Sophie nodded. Truth was that she really didn't want to hear what was going on inside Insein. "If you have anything to report, let us know. Otherwise we'll be in contact as plans come along."

"Okay." Raquel responded figuring she should get a couple hours of sleep before her next shift started.

"Parker, honey, what are you doing?" Sophie asked her after their guest had left.

"What does it look like?"

Sophie took the bag from her hands and tossed it aside. "We should wait for Nate."

"We don't have time."

"You're not going down there without some sort of back-up. It's too dangerous."

"I'm willing to take that risk." Parker said picking up bag. She figured if Nate could allow Eliot to risk his life to protect them he couldn't object to her exploring a tunnel to try to save him. "I'm just going to do a preliminary; see how far I can get without having to dig. I'll have my ear bud in; if I lose signal, you can come in after me."

"It's not going to matter if I say no, is it?"

Parker shook her head.

"Fine; I'll meet you out in the car." Sophie replied as she searched for a pair of shoes appropriate for the possible terrain.

XXXXXX

Eliot waited for the guards to pass by his cell for the hourly check before pulling out the bandage that he had stored under his mattress. It had come rolled up with a fresh jumpsuit for him to change into; he could only figure that Raquel was responsible for it getting there. He rested on his back slowly unbuttoning the suit before pushing himself to a sitting position allowing the sleeves to fall off his shoulders. Placing the end against his swollen side he rolled it across cringing every time he had to reach behind him with the right arm as white dots speckled his vision. He forced himself to bear through until he had the support needed to keep the ribs from shifting from basic movement. As he got to the end of the wrap he felt something fall to the mattress; stored in the center of the wrap Raquel had placed a bottle of antibiotics.

He reapplied his sleeves before crashing onto his back and popping a couple pills into his mouth to swallow. Unable to move Eliot stared at the base of the bunk above him trying to drown out the sounds of inmates screaming and moaning around him. There wasn't a prisoner in there that wasn't malnourished or ill-ridden. Eliot was sure that Hepatitis and HIV was wide spread among the place, and for each cry a beating was given. If lucky the result of which was unconsciousness. So far he had gotten away with being fairly unnoticed among security; he had heard murmurs that he was left for 'her' to deal with and to not approach without caution. He just hoped the façade would last long enough to get him to safety; it took up enough of his strength to fake being beaten.

"Spencer." A guard approached his cell. "You have a visitor."

"Who is it?" Eliot asked hoping that the team would be smart enough to stay away.

"An old friend looking to catch up." The guard said in native tongue was a grin.

There were only a handful of people that could be and none of them spelled good news for the hitter. "Mind telling them I'm a little occupied at the moment, they can try back later?" He posed "No? Didn't think so."

"Grab onto the bars." He was instructed.

"Fuck." He mumbled before walking over. The guard stood far enough away until Eliot had a firm grip on the metal before reaching in to apply the handcuffs, as he did another security officer held his taser in the hitter's direction in case of an opposition.

Once both were certain he was adequately shackled the cell was open and Eliot was lead down the hall into a private room most often used for interrogation. He was left alone in a seat with his hands bound.

"And here I thought you'd never show your miserable face around these parts again." Someone said stepping out from the corner into a spot light illuminating the thick scar that ran from his forehead down his left cheek at the hands of Eliot's blade. The chief of defense, Tao Lo, stood before him with a scowl.

"If I had known the welcome wagon would be out, I would have dropped by a long time ago." Eliot replied sarcastically. "Although, I gotta admit, the room service could use an upgrade."

"I'll be sure to put in the order."

"I appreciate that. Now was that all? I think I heard I was next in line for a pedi." Eliot said starting to stand up.

"Is that right?" The man sneered kneeing him in the torso.

Eliot dropped back onto the chair refusing to let out a sound not wanting to give him the satisfaction in watching him writhe in pain.

"Oh good, based on reports I thought this was going to be anticlimactic."

"If you really want to mix it up I dare ya to uncuff me." Eliot huffed.

The soldier stood over him debating the challenge. With a swift movement he grabbed the hitters elbow while pushing against his spine wrenching the arm back hearing a satisfactory snap as Eliot's shoulder popped out of socket before taking out the keys to unlock the handcuffs. "Come on, get up!" He ordered Eliot.

He stumbled to his feet shaking away the stars that came with the freshly dislocated shoulder. Lo reached behind him to reveal a dagger. They circled each other in a dance; feeling each other out. Once he thought he had the upper hand Lo lunged forward. Trying to force his body to catch up with him Eliot shifted away but not before the blade scrapped against his side. Using the momentum Eliot grabbed Lo's arm and twisted it around before driving his own blade into his opponents gut and then collapsed to the concrete himself.


	35. Chapter 35

"Where have you two been?" Nate asked in overly tired Sophie and Parker as the trudged back into the hotel suite.

"Tunneling." Parker replied.

"Tunneling?" Hardison questioned. "As in like an underground tunnel?"

"Yeah." Parker responded and showed him the book she found on the subject. "As in this one; I can get from outside the gate to his unit underground, but there's a couple places that we're going to need to do more digging if we plan on getting Eliot through. The key would either be getting inside his cell or finding a way to get him out in the grounds."

"Do they have a scheduled…. recess?" Hardison questioned searching for the correct term; one that didn't sound like playtime in elementary school.

"Raquel didn't mention anything." Sophie replied. "But I suppose we can ask when she calls."

"At what point did I give the okay to go digging around in a crumbling hole in the ground?" Nate asked looking at the images of the old tunnel.

"Since you told Eliot it was okay to leave the hospital to surrender himself to a Government itching to torture him." Parker explained. "If you have another route in please tell us, otherwise I'm getting equipment together to make a viable path."

"Parker, you need to get some sleep first." Sophie argued.

"But…"

"Just make a list of supplies that you need and we'll be sure to get it." Sophie persuaded.

The thief reluctantly agreed sitting down to make a list before heading to a bedroom to lie down. Nate gave Sophie a glare that indicated she was overstepping but didn't say anything until Parker left earshot.

"Sophie, this is a death trap!" Nate pointed out.

"Parker didn't think so." Sophie replied. "Besides, she's right, we don't have a lot of options at hand right now, and we need to do something quickly. It's going to take at least a day to dig through that tunnel to make it feasible for Eliot to get through and who knows what kind of condition he's going to be in at that point."

"How is El doing?" Hardison asked.

Sophie shook her head no. "We need to get him out."

"I'll get the stuff." Nate conceded. "Sophie, get some rest but keep your phone nearby. Hardison, that project…."

"I'm on it." He responded pulling out the lap top.

Sophie's phone started to ring before Nate opened the door. She looked down to see Raquel's number having a sinking feeling knowing that the hitter should have been at work by then. "Hello?" She answered.

"We have a problem." Raquel responded shaken.

Sophie clenched her eyes shut waiting for the other woman to proceed.

"He was brought to the infirmary last night; I have no access and nobody is entirely sure he's even conscious."

"What happened?" Sophie asked feeling her legs start to give out on her; Nate rushed over to guide her to the chair behind her.

"All I was told was there was an altercation; somebody trying to settle an old score. I don't know if it was staff, or another inmate or what, but… Eliot killed him, and it probably took all the strength he had to do it."

"Find out what you can." Sophie instructed her before hanging up.

"Sophie…?" Nate asked watching her stare off.

"Turn me into a doctor." She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Get me in there."

"Soph…"

"Please!" She begged.

XXXXXX

Sterling stalked into Finnegan's like he owned the place rearing directly towards the bar hoping to find his mark sitting on the stool.

"Excuse you!" Sterling brushed himself away from the lower form that bumped into him on his way out.

"May I help you?" The bar tended asked to a not so subtle cough taking the attention away from the regulars.

"Nathan Ford, where is he?"

"Ford?" The guy questioned. "Oh, the new guy. He was just….here. Must have taken off."

"Has he said anything about where he is staying?" Sterling questioned. "I only ask because he's a good friend of mine, and frankly I'm a bit worried about him. I got a drunken call from here the other night."

"The guy does like his bourbon." The tender agreed, but he didn't notice anything that would have set off any alarms. "No, he hasn't mentioned a residence. Tell you what, would you like me to call you the next time I see him?"

"That would be wonderful." Sterling smiled and handed him a card. "And, he's in a bit of denial over his condition so if you could do me a favor and not say anything to him it would be greatly appreciated."

"Not a problem." The tender said happy to get the guy on his way. As he was leaving Apollo slipped by to return the cell phone that he had grabbed off of Sterling upon his entry. He then darted off to meet Stark at his car parked around the corner.

"Mission accomplished." Apollo ensured him.

"Good; the heist is set after closing. Is there anything else you require?" Stark asked the thief.

"No; as I told you earlier my part in this is straight forward. You get to be the fall guy in this plan."

Stark shrugged. "I'll be long gone before that happens. Besides Interpol will have a bigger fish to fry."

"Have we heard anything from Myanmar?"

"Nate sent a message that he landed." Stark informed him. "And I was just about to call him to let him know that this step was in place."

"Let him know that if he needs any help out there after this to contact me." Apollo offered not having anything else lined up at the moment.

"You know he's not offering payment…"

"That's okay." The thief shook his head; he had a nice collection going for retirement purposes.

"I'll tell him, but hopefully they won't need it." Stark said hoping that the two jobs could be done simultaneously.

XXXXXXX

"Whatcha doing?" Parker asked Hardison coming out with a bowl of cereal. She realized pretty quickly that no matter how long she laid there she wasn't getting much in the way of quality rest. When he didn't say anything she came over to find him looking at an online news article. "What's this?"

The headline read that Myanmar's chief of defense was killed inside of Insein prison the previous night. The article didn't give much detail only that a blade was involved in the death and that there was question to how it got through; it mentioned the interim chief stepping up and calling for more security to be placed within the prison.

"Hardison, what does this have to do with…?"

"Eliot killed him." Hardison replied solemnly.

"You can't hold that against him; obviously it was self defense. Eliot would have never have access to a dagger otherwise. This guy must have come in to try to kill… wait, how's Eliot?" She asked as it sunk in that a high ranked soldier was killed by an ailing and injured Eliot.

"I don't know." Hardison responded dreading being the one to tell her.

"What do you mean you don't know? Wasn't Xena lady supposed to be keeping tabs on him?"

"Xena?"

"You know, warrior princess, the poster you have hung up in your closet."

Hardison shook his head wondering when she had gained access into his personal affects but decided it wasn't the time. "He was brought to the infirmary after the incident, and Raquel doesn't have clearance to go down there."

"So he's getting medical attention, that's good, right?"

"If he's receiving any attention." Hardison argued. "He just killed a high ranking government official; he's probably not high on the priority list."

"Where's Nate and Sophie?"

"They went out to get that supplies you asked for, and I think Nate was trying to convince Sophie that she was too close to the situation to go in as medical personnel."

"What other option do we have? Sophie is the only one of us that can speak the language, and in order to break him out we need him alive! If their staff isn't going to do it…"

Hardison went back to the conversation with Nate about looking at the big picture. "Sophie is a successful grifter because she's able to separate herself from the character she's playing." He explained, of course it had gotten to the point where she was losing her identity completely. "I think Nate's right; I don't know if she could play the part in this case. Not if it's as bad as I fear it could be."

"It's what Sophie does!"

"You're the one that said she broke character in the courtroom."

"For a second; not even that, and nobody noticed, and even if they did what human being wouldn't show just a tad of concern seeing anyone in that condition?"

"That's fine for a courtroom transcriber, but in order to get her inside the prison we would need to forge transfer papers to that prison and then convince the other medical staff that she's one of them. They don't take too kindly to outsiders and her cover is going to be broken if she pushes too hard to help him. Parker…" He watched her stride away to the bedroom.

Parker pulled out the blueprints looking for the infirmary hoping that there might be a route through the tunnel system that would be easier for them to get to. Hardison followed and stood in the doorway awed by her persistence. As he walked over he kissed the top of her head. "Honey, we have no idea what kind of condition he's in, or if he's…"

"He's not going to die." She responded not taking her eyes off the blueprints.

"Parker…"

"He promised." She turned to him with tears brimming her eyes. "He promised to be there when I needed him. Hardison…"

Hardison reached his arms out to hold onto her and rake his fingers through her hair. She seemed so fragile at the moment and he had no clue what he could say to make it better. "Nate…" Hardison said looking up to see their leader standing at the door.

"Can you get those transfer papers taken care of?" Nate requested. "And then I need you to contact Stark. Parker, once you come up with the route I want you to take me down there."

"Okay." She shook away from Hardison who then veered towards the lap top. Nate took the spot next to her to assist in locating the infirmary.

"So…?" Hardison questioned him.

"I should know by now not to argue with that woman; I'll never win."


	36. Chapter 36

"Dr. Cheyenne, this way." The head of security pointed her in the direction of the infirmary.

"There's one facility for the whole compound?" Sophie asked looking around the grounds.

"If you ask me that's more than enough." The guard sneered. "I know the web paints a dreary picture of this place but what it doesn't get into is the level of scum we get walking through the gate. Take the guy we got in here yesterday, he's a professional killer who wasn't in the can 24 hours before murdering someone. We'd be saving a lot of money if we just took them all out execution style."

"From my understanding that incident last night was a case of self defense."

"Self defense?" The guy laughed. "You take one long look at that kid's wrap sheet and tell me again that you believe it was self defense."

"If that's the case then how did he get access to the weapon? Did someone forget to check him on his way in? Sounds like your department dropped the ball."

"I'm looking into what went wrong there." The man said angry that she called him out on it. "This is your stop."

Sophie swiped the ID tag that they had given her before entering the unit. She was introduced to the head of staff who showed her around the department and into the storage locker where the supplies on hand were displayed. She wasn't overly shocked to see that materials were minimal. "What's over there?" Sophie asked pointing to a drawn curtain.

"No need to worry yourself over that." The chief insisted. "He's not going to last very long."

"Mind if I take a look?" Sophie questioned swallowing down a lump in her throat.

"By all means…" He invited. She took a look at the chart outside the cubicle to see his name printed on the top. Sophie took a deep breath as she attempted to mentally prepare herself to open the curtain.

"What kind of treatment has he been receiving?" She asked looking at the notes.

"Treatment? I don't think you understand, miss."

"Apparently not." She said finally stepping in to find Eliot's unconscious body lying on a slab with his arms bound wearing only a wife beater and boxer shorts with a thin blanket covering him. Instinctually she went to his side placing her fingers against his neck to check for a heart beat. "When's the last time you checked his temperature?"

"He came in at 104." The doctor replied.

"Hand me the thermometer." She insisted and then started stringing out an IV the same way she had seen Eliot do for injuries prior.

"Dr. Cheyenne; there's really no sense in this."

"Really? Because as a doctor I see it as my duty to assist patients in their recovery."

"That man is a killer serving a life sentence; it would be a mercy…"

"It's not your job to decide that!" She argued.

'Sophie, calm down.' She heard Nate say in her ear. He couldn't understand what she was saying but he knew that tone enough to know it was time to back off. Dr. Xing walked off to grab supplies in order to assist her futile attempt; he took it as a wide eyed optimist that hadn't been in the prison system long.

"Nate, this is bad, this is _really_ bad." She whispered pulling out the thermometer. "He's hanging on, but just barely."

'What does the chart say?' Nate asked her. Nate and Parker had just made their way to the tunnel entrance to try to dig the way to the infirmary; however, the looming question was how any one of them were going to be able to carry Eliot out.

"He came in unconscious with a high fever, x-rays were taken revealing broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. It says here that treatment has consisted of an IV of antibiotics, the shoulder was set, and a wound to his left side was sutured. I'm not sure about the rest, but the IV is completely bogus, they don't expect him to make it."

'He's probably only there to prevent a media nightmare. The guy dies in the infirmary and they can shrug it off as medical science only being able to do so much.'

"They're telling the truth about the sutures." She replied pulling up the tank top to look at his side. Sophie held back the groan she felt to the sight of his bruised midsection; the whole chest region presented in various forms of black, blue, and purple which stood out more so against the otherwise pasty pallet.

'Soph, how about the shoulder?'

"It's too swollen to know for sure, but the x-ray suggests that it was re-set. I… I'm going to draw that IV now."

"Excuse me, Dr. Cheyenne." A young female internist came from behind. "Dr. Xing asked me to bring this to you."

"Thank you." Sophie replied hanging the bag of antibiotics for him.

"He also told me to tell you there's an abrasion in cubicle four that he could use your help with."

"I'll be right there." She assured her putting the needle in place; the girl walked off and Sophie held onto Eliot's hand and whispered directly into his ear. "You promised to get through this. Don't you dare give up now!"

XXXXXXX

"It's this way." Parker pointed out for Nate once they were inside the tunnel.

"Are you sure?" He asked looking at the map.

"Yeah." She replied convincingly. It didn't take the thief much effort to orient herself within small spaces. It was something she had grown accustomed to.

Nate didn't like the look of the darkness straight ahead as he shined his flashlight down the hall. "That's completely barricaded."

"We can try circling around the other way, but that's going to add another half of a mile." Parker informed him.

Nate shrugged. "Let's see if it's even feasible."

Parker stopped for a moment. "Tell me the truth, is any of this doable? I mean, suppose we get through, what are the chances we can actually rescue Eliot?"

"I don't know, Parker. I lost control of this a long time ago, or… actually, I never really had any…" He admitted. "I just don't think he's going to last another night here, so I'll take whatever we have."

"Why did we let him do it?" Parker asked leading him the other direction. She thought back to the accusation that Raquel had made and as much as Parker wanted to blame it all on Nate, she couldn't. She didn't argue, she didn't put up a fight, she saw the look of absolution on Eliot's face and she ignored that voice inside of her saying it was a horrible idea.

"He wasn't going to take no for an answer." Nate explained.

"We could have tried…"

"We did."

"No, not really. We didn't come up with any other solutions, we didn't offer to do it… because that's what we're used to; he protects us." Parker reminisced. "Only, the problem is, right now, it's not my safety I'm worried about losing."

"I know." He sympathized.

'Nate.' Hardison came through over the com.

"What's going on?"

'Stark is set; they're ready to roll.'

"Did you get that transfer?" Nate asked him.

'It's done, and I did the copy. Sterling won't know what hit him until it's too late.' Hardison affirmed.

"Good; are you okay to drive this?"

'Yeah. I just need to change frequencies.' Hardison replied knowing that when he did so he would be out of the loop with what was going on with his team.

"Hardison, when it's done…"

'I'll be right back. Don't worry, I got it.' _For Eliot, _he thought to himself.

XXXXXX

"Excuse me!" Stark screamed; he was pounding at the door of the Smithsonian trying to be as obnoxious as possible to gain the attention of the late night security officers.

"Can I help you with something?" One of the two men opened the door to ask him.  
Stark flashed a piece of paper in the man's face. "Did the tour take off yet?"

"What?" The man asked. "What tour?"

"Don't tell me I missed the chance to meet the president. I have a whole laundry list of things I wanted to talk to him about, too. Starting with the new healthcare bill, is that a crock or what?"

"Let me see that." The security guard replied taking the invitation from him. The other came by to peer over his shoulder as Apollo slipped behind both of them.

"Eleven o'clock at 1561 Pennsylvania Ave, see, it says so right there." Stark pointed at the paper.

"Unfortunately sir, 1561 is a mile down, and this was for eleven o'clock this morning." The second guard informed him.

"Oh, I guess that means I missed it, huh?"

"Yeah." The guard shook his head.

"Damn!" Stark replied disappointedly. "That's an 'a'?"

"Definitely an 'a'." The first pointed out. "Sorry man. Wish we could have been of more help."

"Eh." He shrugged. "At least the bar is still open."

The second rolled his eyes very much believing that was the reason he missed his appointment in the first place. Stark backed out of the door dropping his cell in the process out of view of the guards who returned back to their post.

"Alright, hacker boy, you're up." Stark said over the com. He had watched Apollo place the USB card was into port as he held the guards' attention.

Hardison brought the mainframe up on his laptop stopping time on the security feeds in route for the painting. 'Alright Sly, do your thing.' He instructed Apollo.

Apollo crawled through the ventilation shaft with his pack making his way through to the exhibit in question. The heist itself was fairly anticlimactic, he enjoyed rigging the harness and repelling from the ceiling, but in terms of security there was little to be concerned with. It definitely was not a lift he would have taken on his own time; not challenging enough for the thief. Once he was back in the shaft he crawled his way through to the back door setting off a fire alarm on his way out.


	37. Chapter 37

**Author's note: Finally online at the new place! Yay!**

Sophie hid the ill-feeling as she held together the prisoner's skin while doctor Xing pushed the needle through to bind the wound. She hated violence and everything that came with it and barely had any experience with this kind of situation; typically it was Eliot that did the stitching with the rare occasion that Nate did when Eliot required the attention in a location he couldn't get to himself. That had been a contention in the debate earlier; whether or not Sophie could handle herself in the medical role, but she kept going back to the fact that she had to. As much as she would have been more comfortable handing it over to Nate she was the only one that could physically mold in.

"Done." The doctor informed her tossing out the bloodied rags. "Get that bandaged up, and have Lwin prepare the IV."

"Where are you going?"

"Breakfast." He informed her. He was reaching the end of his twelve hour shift without a substantial break.

Sophie did as instructed much more comfortable with applying clean bandages than she was dealing with the blood; after instructing the young internist she returned back to cubicle six to sit with her friend. She sat with anxious breath as Eliot's own came agitatedly.

"Come on, El." She begged for some sign that he knew she was there while combing through his hair. He seemed to respond to her touch, or at least she told herself that he was. Hearing someone coming she jumped away to not arise suspicion.

"How is he doing?" Lwin asked.

Sophie shrugged. "Vitals are the same."

"Dr. Xing would say 'I told you so.' Do you really think you can save him?"

"Wouldn't it look better if we tried?" Sophie questioned.

"Depends on who you ask, personally, I think he did this country a favor. Lo was a miserable human being; we're so much better off with General Khin taking over."

"I assume that's not a popular position." Sophie replied.

"Not if you're in the back pocket of the Prime Minister. The rest of us just tend to keep our mouth's shut; it's safer that way." She explained. Lwin stood by the entrance watching as Eliot's head started to bob. "Look's like you win."

"What?" Sophie questioned.

Lwin pointed back at the patient. Sophie tried keeping composure as she saw him grimace.

"Um… ah… morphine." She stumbled to come up with an excuse to get the young girl out of the cubicle.

"I'm on it." She insisted to her superior.

"Eliot, it's okay, I'm here."

"I'm sorry." He rasped.

"Hey, don't…"

"I didn't want to go." He claimed which just confused the grifter more. "I didn't mean… to leave you. Aim… forgive me?"

"Shhh." Sophie hushed him as she realized what was going on. "It's okay, you're here now. Just rest, of course I forgive you."

'Sophie, what's happening?' Nate asked over com. 'Is… is he awake?'

"He's awake." She confirmed. "Um… delirious, but, ah… awake."

'That's a start.' Nate went for the silver lining. 'Okay, Soph, do what you can to bring that fever down; once Parker and I establish the route I'm going to need you to sign the discharge back to his cell.'

"What kind of time frame are we looking at?"

'Before Raquel's shift is finished, so like, six hours.'

"In six hours you're expecting him to be able to walk out of here?"

'We have no other choice.'

"Aimee…" Eliot said again before turning his head to cough; his body convulsing as he did.

"Easy, easy…" She warned him reminded of the threat of puncturing a lung; and then called out for the intern in the Burmese language. "I need some damp rags, stat!"

XXXXXX

"He's awake?" Parker asked Nate again for the confirmation not convinced she had heard it correctly for herself.

"You know as much as I do." Nate reminded her.

Inwardly she very much disagreed with that; Nate always had something brewing in his head. She was pretty sure he was omniscient, and certain that he could bend reality to his whim. Parker bore witness to that fact that he was able to give a man a bloody nose with merely the power of suggestion. Somehow that faith was re-established with the news.

"Great." Nate sighed seeing the narrowing of the path in front of them from boulders that had fallen.

Parker grabbed a tool from the utility belt she had on. Somehow Nate had been able to track down every item on her list which included that. With a rejuvenation of conviction she hacked away, Nate assisted providing the force necessary to roll the larger stones out of the way. The thief smirked to the efficiency of the teamwork, and although it presented itself in being a long day she wasn't going to stop until the goal was reached.

"Nate, why?" She asked once they were satisfied it was safe enough to go through.

"Why what?"

"Why does it matter what time wonder woman gets off?" She asked still not able to refer to the female hitter by name.

"You don't like her." Nate surmised.

"I don't trust her." Parker clarified.

Nate knew that trust wasn't something that came easily to any one of the people on his crew, but especially so with Parker. Her upbringing made it increasingly difficult for her to form bonds and connect with others. What she knew of the world was that there was a promise of love and stability that easily dissipated and was abandoned. What she longed for was genuine security that she hadn't experienced from people until the formation of the team.

"I need her to lead Eliot to the tunnel, and I might require her assistance in getting him through." Nate explained; he had no illusion that the hitter was going to be in any shape to travel the tunnel unaided.

"I can help." She volunteered.

"Parker." He shook his head. "Your role will be leading us out of here. This… this is useless to me." Nate held up the map.

XXXXXX

"This is the DCPD, we've been alerted of a security breach." An officer called from outside the Smithsonian holding up his badge.

The security officer opened the door for entry. "From what we can tell there was movement in the rear fire escape."

"What kind of movement?" The other officer asked.

"Maybe a cat."

"A cat?" The first questioned. "A cat pushed open an aluminum door?"

"Maybe." The guard threw his hands up. "We checked the surveillance tape in the area and found nothing."

"Did you physically check?"

"Yes, but even if there was an intruder by the time we got back there they would have had the opportunity to escape in any which direction."

"Let me see that video." An officer pulled one of the guards away to view the footage while the other continued questioning.

"Did you notice anything particularly peculiar tonight?" The officer asked the remaining guard.

"No; well, there was that one belligerent moron, but he didn't get passed the front entrance."

"What belligerent moron?"

The guard shrugged. "I didn't catch his name; he was just some guy inquiring about a tour that took off twelve hours ago."

"Did you catch this guy on tape?" The officer asked.

"I don't know; we only have one camera at this door. It depends on the rotation, although I think he was here long enough to catch it." He led him to an open monitor.

The officer already seated jabbed at his partner. "You seeing what I'm seeing?"

"Don't you just hate it when time stands still?" He questioned the guards pointing to the time stamp that went from 10:56pm to 11:19pm, which happened to be directly after the alarm had sounded.

"Shit! Franco, take the West wing; I'll grab the East." He instructed his partner on the sweep of the exhibits allowing the cops full access to the security monitors.


	38. Chapter 38

"Morning Sterling." Collins greeted him in the halls of Interpol.

"G' morning; have you followed up on Ford?" Sterling asked him.

"Yeah, I checked all the hotels in the area, especially the ones with a cash bar. No one has been able to recognize the picture. Too bad you can't nab him for that Monet, huh?"  
"What are you talking about?" Sterling questioned him.

"You haven't heard yet? The Smithsonian was broken into last night; one piece was nabbed, and it was yours. I went down to the station to investigate Ford's involvement and all they could tell me at the time was they have a suspect in mind and it wasn't him."

"That's imposs… oh damn…" Sterling started to put the pieces together. "Call Carl; have him triple the guard duty on Insein. Ford is planning a prison break; my guess is that it's going down tonight."

"What makes you think…?" Collins questioned.

"Oh, come on, why else do you think he would lure me out of the country?"

Collins shrugged. "What about the painting?"

"What about it?" Sterling asked cocky as he wiped out his blackberry to speed dial his old employer. "Yes, this is James Sterling, that's _Sterl_ing with a 't', I'd like to report a robbery of a piece insured by your company…"

Collins watched as Sterling was placed on hold.

"What else do you want?" Sterling asked coldly.

"Um… Griffin asked me to hand this off to you; he said he needs it placed in a secure location." Collins handed him a briefcase from the boss.

"What's in this?"

"Don't know. I assume confidential documents, didn't really go peaking myself, but if that's your thing go for it." He replied before heading back to his office.

Sterling opened it slightly rustling through some papers before his call was picked back up and his claim could be placed.

XXXXXX

During the day Sophie periodically checked on Eliot between stitching and dressing wounds and ordering tests to be done. She thanked her lucky stars that no one had come in with a broken bone that they needed to be set.

"How are you feeling?" She asked while checking the hitter's temperature yet again. The delirium had finally broken, although could be used for an adequate cover when he slipped and called her by name.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Eliot asked refusing to take any morphine from the pump; his claim was that the medication made him loopy and thereby would create further risk during the break. There was logic in there lost on the grifter.

"El…"

"I'll survive." He attempted to convince her. "You've done your job, maybe you should…"

"Oh no, you are not getting rid of me that easily." Sophie interrupted him.

"Sophie, if they find out you're a fraud…"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"You've been lucky so far that the injuries haven't been worse." Eliot replied stating a fact she had already known.

"I realize that."

"Then don't push it. Get out while you can." He said annoying her as he went back to protector mode once alert enough to do so.

"I can't. You need me to sign the discharge papers and I can't do that until Nate is in place. Now quit arguing; you need to conserve your strength."

Eliot only shut up because he knew she was right; he couldn't imagine walking the hall to the bathroom in his current condition yet somehow he was going to be required to muster up the strength to maneuver through an underground passage in order to get himself to safety.

XXXXXX

"This is as close as we're going to get." Parker told Nate pointing to the entrance above them. The entrance stood about 200 yards out from the infirmary in the direction of his cell. "If we try going that way we're veering off course."

"Hardison, did you catch that?" Nate asked him.

'I sure did.' He said from the rental van. After scrambling the feed from the USB card that had left at the scene of the heist Hardison left the hotel to pick up supplies and head towards the prison. He sent Raquel the page indicating to put in her earpiece.

'I'm on.' Raquel indicated once out of view of suspicion.

"Okay Sophie, put it through." Nate instructed waiting all day to deliver that message praying that it would work.

XXXXXX

"Ms. Dayan, before you go you have orders here to go 'retrieve' Spencer from the infirmary."

"Retrieve? You mean he survived?" Raquel questioned in character.

"Apparently the man is more stubborn than we thought. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't see it as a huge loss if the body got dumped somewhere in transit." Her superior informed her.

Raquel snickered. "Does that mean you're going to provide my cover if it takes weeks before the corpse is discovered?"

"You didn't hear that from me." He winked at her. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Raquel waved at the guy before whispering into her com. "Nate, it looks like we have more time than we originally thought before they send the cavalry out."

'That'll help, how did you manage it?' He asked her.

Raquel took a long breath digging for the correct way to put it knowing who all was listening on. "Let's just say you were on the right track when you predicted this would be his last day in prison."

'Gotcha.' Nate understood before Parker read her the coordinates.

'Wait, I don't… or, are you saying…?' Hardison asked.

'She means that Eliot making it back to his cell isn't a high priority.' Sophie explained gently; leaving out the part where she was indirectly ordered to kill him.

'Sophie, as soon as the transfer is done I want you out of there.' Nate instructed.

'The car is parked outside the infirmary with the key inside the dash.' Hardison explained. He was able to drive in the car that Nate and Parker had left by the tunnel entrance using a military uniform that he had 'picked up'. Fortunately, he was uncharacteristically able to stay inconspicuous, although, it helped he wasn't able to speak the native language. His mouth had a tendency of getting him into trouble. 'Ditch it at the hotel and I'll pick you up there.'

'Are we going to have time?' Sophie asked.

'Oh, you'll have plenty.' Nate insisted. 'Call me crazy, but somehow I doubt Eliot's going to be up to sprinting through the tunnel system.'

Sophie held onto his hand as he rested. 'It'll be a miracle if he comes up with the strength to walk through it.'

'He will.' Parker insisted. 'He will because he has to.'


	39. Chapter 39

"Mr. Sterling, can I ask you a few questions?" A detective Luis Poletti asked approaching him in his office.

"Have you found the felon that stole my painting?" Sterling asked condescendingly.

"We haven't located the perp." The detective pointed to his partner.

"We were hoping that maybe you could assist us in that task." Detective Philip Randall added.

"Not sure why you need me to do your job for you, but sure, what do you have there?"

"Can you identify this man for me?" Poletti asked him and slid a picture on the desk from the security feed in the lobby.

Sterling shook his head recognizing Stark from the photo. "I can."

Detective Randall gestured to elaborate.

"His name is Marcus Stark; a grifter by trade who has a tendency to lead a team a thief's in various heists. The team gets together for two missions, one smaller job and then the big pay off."

"Would you consider this his small job?" Poletti asked.

Sterling stared back as if it was obvious. "Which would mean they are still in town, so I have to ask again what you are doing here?"

"How well do you know this Stark guy?"

Sterling shrugged. "I may have chased him down once or twice."

"So, you're not on a first name basis with the guy?" Randall questioned.

"Is this an interrogation?" Sterling asked with expectant eyes gazing back.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Because, so far all I've gotten from you boneheads are questions. I appreciate the thoroughness, it'll look great on the insurance claim, but you're barking up the wrong tree. I can't help you." Sterling insisted.

"How much is the insurance payout?" Randall inquired.

Sterling rolled his eyes at yet another question. "Why don't you first tell me what it is you're accusing me of? I am aware of my rights."

"Okay." Poletti shrugged and took the seat in front of Sterling crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm accusing you of using a half a million dollar bounty from Myanmar to finance a burglary with a two million dollar insurance pay out."

Sterling laughed at the ridiculousness of it.

"Are you denying it?" Randall asked him.

"I'm not even going to dignify that." Sterling sneered.

"I think he's asking for proof." Randall snickered to his partner.

"You don't have any proof." Sterling replied sure that if they did he would be sitting in handcuffs.

"We are still waiting on some financials, but it, um… seems like your partner left this." Poletti pulled out a cell phone. "Interesting recording, by the way, let me know if anything sounds familiar."

The detective pressed the button to play before turning up the volume. It started with the sound of Stark's voice.

_'I got your message, Sterling, and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised.'_

_'Dealing with thieves from time to time has proven profitable.' _Sterling heard his own.

'_So, I've heard, but why me?'_ Stark questioned.

'_Consider it a compliment. You make it this far on my radar it means you're among the best.'_

'_This piece you want me to nab, a feature at the Smithsonian?'_

'_That's correct.'_

'_That's quite the challenge. What's in it for me?'_

'_Who would be stupid enough to pass up on half of a million?'_ The detective's simply smiled to the sound of Sterling's smug voice.

_'A half of a million?'_ Stark's voice clarified.

'_A quarter wire transferred with the completion of this call, and another upon delivery.'_

'_Consider it a deal.'_

'_Wonderful.' _Sterling confirmed before Detective Poletti turned the recording off.

"I can't believe you're falling for that; you idiot's can't sense a set up when it's…"  
"Mr. Sterling, might I suggest you keeping your mouth shut from here on out." Randall recommended.

"It you're going to arrest me than you might as well just get on with it; my lawyers are going to have a field day."

"Excuse me while I take this." Poletti picked up his cell and walked out of the office while Randall loomed over the agent as he racked his brain trying to figure out how that message was created.

**-**Flashback**-**

"_Eliot, are you sure?" Nate questioned as he peaked over while driving to observe the effort the simplest of acts was taking him._

_"Yeah." He replied unconvincingly. "What's the plan? Anything you need me to do?"_

_Nate knew he was asking as a distraction. "Actually, yes."_

"'_S open." Eliot called out._

_"Wonderful, so nice to see you're feeling better." Sterling walked in as his guards stood behind. "What's up? The other's sleeping in?"_

_Eliot shrugged. "Maybe. 'Course my guess is that they're at least half way across the Atlantic by now."_

"_Very funny." Sterling chuckled before sending his guys upstairs. "It's a nice stall tactic, but I wouldn't consider making a run for it. I have 6 more downstairs."_

"_All that for us?" Eliot teased._

_"Consider it a compliment. You make it this far on my radar it means you're among the best. Which just makes it that much sweeter when I bring you to justice."_

_"Justice?" Eliot shook his head. "Funny how the last time we talked you were asking us for a favor. Correct me if I'm wrong, didn't you get a promotion out of that deal?"_

_"That's correct. Dealing with thieves from time to time has proven profitable." Sterling admitted. "But you're still just that, thieves, all of you, and it will be a pleasure watching you get carted off back where you belong."_

_"Boss, they're not up here." A guy called down._

_"What do you mean they're not up there?" Sterling threatened._

_"Let me guess." Eliot postured counting the eight guys on his fingers. "A van placed here with surveillance on both entrances. A guy on the hospital roof, the Logan terminal, and at each of the other's residence; for Parker her actual and the one on Central Square."_

_"I knew that was a dummy." Sterling shook his head. "So, where are they?"_

_"I told ya. They're gone. You got your wish, the team has disbanded and you get your payout."_

_"No. I'm not buying it; they wouldn't have left a man behind." _

_"Tell ya what, call off the search now and I'll come willingly."_

_"That's very gallant of you Spencer, but what can you do if I decline?"_

_"I could kill you. Personally, I hope you go with the latter." Eliot smiled echoing Sterling's request._

_"Do you really think you're in any shape to be making veil threats?"_

_"There's nothing veil about it. I could take you down before the guys up there got a shot out. Granted, with eight guys each carrying firearms I'm not gonna make it outta here, but you'd be dead, I'd consider that a bonus. What do you say?"_

_"Who would be stupid enough to pass up on a half a million?" Sterling answered rhetorically._

_"Darn." Eliot sighed watching as Sterling called off his men. As they came down to apprehend him Sterling pulled out his phone. "Whatcha doing?"_

_"Securing my funds." Sterling smiled. "A quarter wire transferred with the completion of this call, and another upon delivery. Here, smile for the camera for me, will ya?"_

_Eliot put up his middle finger for the flash_ sliding his other into the couch cushion_ before standing up to the muscle in front of him. As a guy went to grab him Eliot countered bringing him to the floor in a headlock. "What part of come willingly did you not understand?" He questioned._

-End-

Poletti came back into the room authoritatively. "Mr. Sterling, you're under arrest. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney, if you're unable to attain one, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"

"This is crazy." Sterling shook his head as the shackles were taken out. "Do you call that proof?"

"It's possible that recording was doctored." Poletti conceded. "Although they just authenticated the Monet, and you'll never guess where it was misplaced. Get this, the Interpol security vault in a box registered to a James Sterling."

"That was planted." Sterling shook his head as he started to see the pieces coming together.

"Oh, I'm sure." Poletti agreed. "Only there's a time stamped photo of you entering the vault with the briefcase where the painting was stashed within a half an hour of you filing an insurance claim. You're a pro at this, I'm sure you can tell me what they call that."

Sterling gasped realizing the only thing he could do at that point was keep his mouth shut. His first call was going to be to his lawyer. There was no way this could hold up in court; he wasn't guilty.


	40. Chapter 40

Eliot hadn't realized that he had fallen back asleep until a coughing fit woke him up. He attempted to reposition to his side to make breathing easier, but the restraints holding down both wrists put a sudden stop to that plan as soon as he felt the pull to his injured shoulder. Outside his cubicle he heard Sophie ordering the intern to get his jumpsuit and boots knowing that could only mean one thing. The curtain opened enough for Sophie to step in.

"It's time." She told him and walked over to unbuckle the bands holding him down. Unconsciously his right arm wrapped his midsection as soon as it was released. "Eliot, I think you should take something for the pain."

He shook his head no, stubborn as ever. "Can you just help me up?"

She nodded. He started by shifting over to his left elbow; gently she was able to guide him to a sitting position. Unfortunately the elevation change woke up the sleeping headache from his concussion. He took time to blink away the dancing lights spinning around him.

"Eliot…" She said again after he missed her first call.

"I, ah… yeah?" He responded.

"Raquel is going to be here any minute; we need to get this bound." She explained holding an ace bandage. The team had already agreed that after the primary concern of keeping Eliot conscious long enough to get him to safety the priority was not aggravating injury, an emphasis placed on the precariousness of his ribs.

Eliot winced at the thought of moving his shoulder enough to gain access to the ribcage. He used his good arm to lift it and recommended she move swiftly. Sophie ignored the bruising as she lifted the tank top focusing in on applying the wrap tight enough to bind everything in without cutting off circulation.

"Done." She assured him bringing the tank back down over the flawless job.

"Doctor Cheyenne." Lwin poked her head in holding out the clean jumpsuit. "The guards are here to take him."

"Guards?" Sophie questioned.

"Um… yeah, a ah… Dayan and Ohnmar. There passes checked out." Lwin told her.

"You can send them in it'll just be another minute." Sophie replied calmly wondering why Raquel failed to tell them she wasn't coming alone.

XXXXXX

"Ms. Dayan, wait up." Ohnmar caught up to her.

"What are you doing here?" She asked; not remembering her superior saying anything about sending her with back-up.

"After last night the chief is feeling a little cautious about leaving any one person alone with that guy. It made it easy for me to convince him to allow me to come with." The guard explained.

"That's fine, but I really don't need a baby sitter. I can handle this mission." Raquel insisted.

"Don't worry, miss, I'm content with standing back and letting you do your thing, but none of us want to see another solider fall at Spencer's hands. Here are my official orders to come with."

Raquel took a peak at the paperwork that the chief had signed for the man and shook her head. "It's not a wide known fact, but there's an abandoned tunnel system under the compound; I was going to take him there in order to settle affairs."

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Stand watch to make sure nobody is coming. If it starts getting out of control I'll call."

"Sure." The man replied, but what Raquel was getting from his tone indicated he was there for more than that which made her wary. She'd handle the obstacle, but had to make certain that Eliot made it to safety first. She hoped the team would trust her enough to know that before sending out alarm signals.

Raquel pressed the doorbell to the infirmary as they both waited with their passes drawn out, and orders in hand for the intern to examine before retreating back to assert the prisoner ready. "Come on in." Lwin invited them after clearing it with the doctor on duty.

"He's cuffed and set to go." Sophie looked directly at Raquel as she spoke in Burmese tilting her head towards his cubicle. "I assume I'm supposed to sign that?"

Raquel held out the paperwork whispering 'I didn't know' as Sophie jot down her assumed name.

"Get him out of here." Sophie instructed unable to say anything else. Eliot stood at the doorway waiting for Raquel to approach and lead him out. Ohnmar took note as instructed. His superiors had received word earlier that day from Interpol that a suspected prison break was set to take place, and Dayan's appearance was suddenly in question.

"You hear that?" Raquel pulled on his good arm hoping to provide some support for him as he inched his way forward. Eliot gave one last glance over to Sophie that attempted to soothe the anxiety she was feeling of getting him out of her sight before he was shuffled off onto the grounds in the care of two people with orders to kill him.

"Dr. Cheyenne…"

"If I punch out for my break will you be able to…?" Sophie questioned.

"I can cover." The intern insisted.

"Make sure the guy in cubicle three gets his vitals checked…"

"In the next fifteen minutes, yes, I know." Lwin assured her. "I'll see you when you get back."

Sophie just nodded before exiting the building. She wasn't sure what had changed in the time she had been working there, but somehow in that short time the cuts and bruises didn't bother her as they used to, instead she felt satisfaction in helping. It bothered her that she had to leave the shift unfinished, but as soon as she heard Nate over the comm her focus returned.

'Sophie, I need to know what's going on.'

She turned the key in the ignition pulling the car into reverse before answering. "I'm pulling out now to meet up at the hotel. Eliot is with Raquel, but we have a slight problem there."

'What kind of problem?' Nate asked figuring as much when he heard Raquel speaking to an unknown man.

"I can only guess the chief of security didn't trust her to finish the job so he sent muscle to assist in the task."

'Shit!' Nate exclaimed seeing visions of the ways this could turn out and none of them ending particularly well for their already injured hitter.


	41. Chapter 41

"How far out is this entrance?" Ohnmar asked Raquel.

"Not very; it's right up this way." She replied hoping that she had the correct coordinates. So far no one was in sight; Eliot was doing all he could in order to put foot in front of the other while Ohnmar stalked behind him watching for any sudden movements.

"Is that it?" He pointed about two yards in front of them to which Raquel nodded. Ohnmar pulled out his firearm cracking the heel of it into Eliot's skull sending him crumpling down.

"What the hell?" Raquel screamed out.

"Go ahead; shoot him." The other guard dared her as he pointed his own towards Eliot's head.

"This isn't what we discussed." Raquel replied.

"No, but the more I thought about it, the less I wanted to stand by as you performed a prison break. Did you actually expect to pull this off?" He asked raising his gun from the first target to her.

She sighed despairingly. "I don't know what you think is going on, but if Sein finds out…"

"Enough, if you're not working with the guy then prove it; kill him! We'll roll him right into his grave and you're free to go."

"Okay." Raquel nodded and pulled her weapon out pointing it toward her fallen friend. Ohnmar watched carefully as she started to squeeze the trigger. In a sudden movement Eliot rolled over to his side kicking his leg out and landing his heel below the kneecap while Raquel's shot went off into the guard's chest.

"Eliot." She crouched down next to him. Before the shot he had moved his fingers only slightly but enough to let her know to go for it. She pulled out the keys that Sophie had slipped into her hand during the earlier exchange with the paperwork to unlock the handcuffs. "Eliot, stay with me." She cautioned before getting up to open the entrance.

Nate stood under the ladder in order to assist the hitter down but first he questioned the loud bang that he could only assume was the result of a hand gun going off.

"Move back." Raquel instructed.

"What?" He questioned.

"Just do it!" She said before rolling the bleeding out security guard into the hole. Raquel had caught him straight in the heart and didn't particularly feel bad about the fact that he wasn't going to make it.

"Oh." Nate replied as it all started to make sense. "Eliot?" He asked.

She vanished from view in order to help him make his way over to the ladder without having to stand up. She held onto his wrist firmly braced with his as he descended down; once he was too far for her to reach Nate stood to spot until Eliot was firmly on solid ground.

"That's it, last rung." Nate told him which helped prevent the splitting pain that came with guessing.

Parker stood quiet blinking a couple times to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her.

"No 'hey, how are you?'" Eliot coughed out.

She approached him looking for him to give the signal that it was okay to precede with contact. Eliot held out his left hand for her to grab onto before she inched in for the hug.

"How far is this thing?" Eliot asked Nate while Parker held on. Raquel made her way down, closing the opening upon descent.

"About three miles." Parker told him as she pulled away afraid of how he may respond.

Eliot's eyes widened. "Tell me you're not serious?"

"I know it's not ideal." Nate replied.

"Let's not even tackle how much of an understatement that is." Eliot responded trying to keep the world from tilting on him as he stood. "Did you bring a first aide kit?"

"Of course?" Nate inquired.

Eliot reached behind his neck and then pulled his hand away to reveal blood, and not a little bit. "There should be some of those butterfly bandages; I've used them before to hold off stitching."

"I got it." Raquel said grabbing a towel Parker had given her to soak away some of the blood before applying the bandages. "Okay, now gauze and tape." She instructed before finishing up the patching job.

"Eliot, take some." Nate gave him a canteen of Gatorade noticing how wobbly the man was on his feet.

XXXXX

'Sophie, what's wrong?' Hardison asked the silent grifter as he followed her back to the hotel.

"Shhh!" She hushed him attempting to listen to what Raquel was saying to the other guard. She only wished she could hear the other side of the conversation, but from what she did hear and what she could get from the guards body language the jig was up. Sophie felt her heart stop when the blast went off and Eliot's name was called. The 'Eliot, stay with me' didn't ease either one of their nerves.

'What was that?' Hardison asked again.

"Nate?" Sophie questioned hoping the mastermind could help them out.

'Hang on, it… it's opening.' Nate watched the wooden door swing open with Raquel standing there. 'Is everything all right?' He asked.

'Move back.' She answered.

Nate questioned it but did as she said anyway. He watched a body fall in front of him.

'Oh?' Hardison questioned. 'No, no 'oh', what do you mean 'oh'? We're definitely looking for something more descriptive than 'oh'.'

"Hardison.." Sophie stopped him in her typical calm voice. "Nate?"

'I see him.' Nate finally said as Raquel helped him over to the entrance. 'He's looking worse for wear but he seems to be fairing better than the other guy.'

'What other guy?' Hardison asked.

'The one that fell from the sky.' Parker answered as if that was any help.

'Well then, now that that's all cleared up…' Hardison said sarcastically.

'Soph, it's going to be awhile before we meet up. I think it might be best if I turn the ear bud off. Parker will have hers if we need anything.' Nate stated as he watched Eliot carefully climb the ladder. He stood under the man to stabilize if needed.

"That bad?" Sophie asked, but she already knew the answer. She had spent most of the day at his side and knew he was in no condition to do what they were asking him to do. Nate understood that, and he knew Sophie well enough to know that listening to Eliot struggle through without being able to do anything would be torture for her.

'Okay, El… just a couple more.' Nate warned him. 'That's it, last rung.'

It wasn't until Parker was embraced in a hug that Nate took the bud from his ear to tuck securely in his pocket. Sophie heard the crackle as he went offline and focused on the road in front of her attempting not to let the tears that were flowing interrupt her ability to drive.

'Sophie, it's almost done.' Hardison said compassionately, somehow hearing the silent tears. '_We_ have him.'

She chuckled. "Do me a favor? Tell me again when we're all safely out of this godforsaken country."

'I can do that.' Hardison promised.


	42. Chapter 42

**Author's note: Sorry, it's a kind of short one, and pure Eliot h/c. I am glad people enjoyed the Sterling part, that piece was a fun one to write. I actually had to write the "phone conversation" between Sterling/Stark before constructing the conversation with Sterling and Eliot in the apartment. And for those who haven't figured it out, Apollo then broke into the apartment to grab the recording from the couch that Eliot slipped it into and sent it to a post box in England for Nate to give to Hardison to work on. I hope that was all (at least subtly) in the story somewhere. **

Eliot attempted to go as far as he could without leaning on anyone for support. Not only did he hate the idea of appearing helpless, but he decided it was the best way to preserve the strength of the team. For him it meant holding in the grunts as his feet stumbled on the rocky surface below him each time jarring his already ailing limbs. It was about a mile in that they hit the first of the newly excavated sections that needed to be crawled through to continue.

Nate stayed behind him watching for signs that it was too much without constantly harassing the hitter with his concern. Although, he could have sworn he saw Eliot's jaw drop as he saw the narrowing ahead; his breathing was already more jagged than Nate felt comfortable with, but he kept going. Eliot bent down to his knees, still hanging on to his ribcage with one arm, while crawling over rubble to follow Raquel who attempted to control the distance between Parker and Eliot.

Once making it into the clearing Eliot rested his back against the wall breathing threw the bought of dizziness that accompanied his ears popping and the tunnel going black and white.

"Come on." Nate encouraged holding out his hand.

"Just a minute." Eliot huffed.

"No." Nate replied sternly.

Eliot looked up at the man with an icy stare; it wasn't a request that could be denied, and he was really in no state to argue that. "Damnit Nate." He said softer than he anticipated; he loathed admitting to weakness. "I'm gonna be sick."

Nate knelt down next to him and shrugged. "Then get sick." He offered; he had dealt with that enough with Sam to be immune to it. "Eliot, if you need someone to lean on, I'm here. If you need food or water, we have it; well… granola bars and Gatorade, but… I can't just let you sit here, if I do then we're running the very real possibility of you passing out and then I don't know how we're going to get you out of here."

Eliot nodded slightly in agreement; this time holding his arm out for Nate to assist him to the standing position.

"Can I get you some food…?"

"No." Eliot replied; his stomach was already uneasy enough from the head injury. He attempted to take a couple steps before stumbling back, luckily into Nate who managed to catch him.

He lifted the younger man's arm over his shoulder. "Why don't we try this together, just for a little bit?"

"Fine." Eliot conceded.

"So, I'm betting that month long vacation ain't sounding too bad now, huh?" Nate asked hoping to keep him alert.

Eliot snickered. "Can I sleep through the first week?"

"Tell you what? Make it to the van and you can sleep for as long as you want. Deal?"

"Deal." Eliot whispered through pants

"You just have to keep going." Nate encouraged watching the man place one foot in front of the other before coming to a sudden halt. He dropped to one knee and Nate held the hitters hair back.


	43. Chapter 43

Sophie left the car at the hotel and jumped into the van with Hardison.

"You got a mattress?" Sophie glanced to the back. He had the seats taken out and other than the computer it was set with medical supplies.

"I thought he would find it more comfortable." Hardison replied.

"I'm sure he will."

"Sophie, I haven't seen Eliot since before we left." He expressed his concerns without actually expressing his concern, but Sophie knew what he was telling her anyway.

"It's not easy. We're so accustomed to this pillar of strength, and…" Her voice trailed off.

"This has happened before, you know." Hardison stated. "Nate had me dig through all of our medical records when establishing the agency. I doubt I have everything; especially with the use of different alias' but um… he's… this isn't the first time."

"I know. I've had a few candid conversations with Eliot about the nature of what it is that he does; he won't go into any detail, but…"

"He never does." Hardison interrupted. "You ever notice that? While the rest of us are coming down from our post-con high recanting the stories of tense moments or big victories he just listens. You know, he might throw out a jab or chuckle, but otherwise he doesn't… I swear he went on more about the fight he could have had with Raquel then I have heard him talk about all of the other jobs put together. I mean he took out the Butcher of Kiev with an appetizer and what mattered to him afterwards was how much we enjoyed his pasta sauce."

"That is some good sauce." Sophie smiled.

"The best, but don't tell him I said that." Hardison still got his jollies from telling Eliot he couldn't taste the difference between his and Ragu.

"He still sees himself as the bad guy." Sophie explained digging into what she had been able to read from the hitter. "Just based on the level of carnage he's inflicted."

"'I'm the best there is at what I do; but what I do best isn't very nice.'" Hardison quoted the famous X-Men quote.

"Exactly; wait… what?" She questioned.

"It's, awe… never mind."

"The ironic part is that prior to the formation of this team, out of all of us, he was the one doing the most good. I'm not saying he didn't take jobs from shady characters, but he was on a crusade to defend those incapable of defending themselves before Nate ever came into the picture."

"I thought the ironic part was that it was that kind of crusade that has put him in the mess he's in now?"

"That too." Sophie sighed knowing that if it had been her that Sterling had cashed in on it would be for some sort of masterly crafted art theft.

Hardison looked over at the time and decided to turn his com back on to get another update from Parker; Sophie nodded as she realized what he was doing. "Parker, any guess to an ETA?"

'I'm not sure.' She responded back. 'The pace is slowing down.'

"How far out have you gotten?"

'A mile and a half, about half way. Nate told me to stay within the beam of She-ra's flashlight…'

"Parker!" He shook his head, although inwardly impressed that she came up with the reference.

'She hasn't given the distress signal so I'm assuming he's… still…' Before taking the lead Parker had asked that in the event of an emergency Raquel flash the beam on and off three times.

"Another couple hours?" Hardison questioned.

'With the rate we're going? Yeah, probably.' Parker confirmed.

"How are you holding up?" He asked in genuine concern knowing she didn't get much sleep the night prior.

'Could be better; could be worse.' She stated apathetically, like the rest of them she hadn't given much thought to her own state. When her stomach growled she ate a granola bar, when thirsty she took a swig from the canteen, but that was about all she was doing to fulfill her needs.

"That's not exactly…"

'Right now that's all I have.'

"Okay, I'm gonna check in in another twenty minutes."

XXXXXX

"That's one hell of a concussion you have going on there." Nate said helping Eliot back to his feet.

"Yeah, all three of them." Eliot rasped.

"Three?" Nate questioned with wide eyes.

Eliot shrugged with his one good shoulder. "I don't know, maybe it's just one that's been aggravated a couple times. Either way, still feels like it's been knocked around more than a ball at Wimbledon."

"Eliot, about that conversation we had earlier, I think I should go on record saying you have permission to 'sleep' for as long as you want and not to slip into a coma… just, just clarifying."

The hitter snickered.

"I… I'm serious." Nate responded.

"I'll do my best."

"If you want pain killers…"

"No." Eliot snapped, only softening to the look of worry etched across Nate's face. "No; they muck me up, slow my reflexes, as if they weren't hindered enough."

"Who do you expect to be fighting?" Nate wondered why that would be a concern.

"Do you really think we're going to get out of this without opposition?"

"I didn't say that." Nate argued. "Again, I ask, who do you think _you_ will be fighting?"

"Nate, as awful as I look, don't think I'm defenseless."

"It didn't cross my mind that you were. You single handedly killed this countries highest ranking military official and just aided in taking out an armed prison guard, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to let the rest of us to protect you for a change. As hard as it was, we trusted you to do what you had to in order to survive this; now trust us to get you out of it." Nate stopped to reach into his bag and pull out a bottle of pain killers.

"Can I see?" Eliot asked; the letters spun around as he attempted to read the label. "Percocet? How did you get your hands…?"

Nate shot him a glance.

"Parker." Eliot figured out; in a display of faith he dumped a pill into his palm and threw it into his mouth. Nate held out the canteen for him to drink from before venturing forward on their path.


	44. Chapter 44

Hardison had pulled up to a coffee shop to quickly run in and pick up the order that Sophie had written out for him. Nate was explicit with the directions that they were not to drive back until he gave signal that they were approaching. He knew after Sophie failed to come back after her break and the second guard didn't check back in security would be on red alert. Being anywhere near the prison for any length of time would put them in imminent danger.

Sophie rested back in the passenger's seat; she was exhausted, but every time she attempted to close her eyes she saw Eliot's motionless form lying on a cold slab like a scene from a mortuary.

"Here." Hardison startled her as he approached her window. "The server swears that it's a double shot of espresso." He explained seemingly not noticing her jump.

She took a sip and nodded. "Perfect; thanks."  
"No sweat." He stated before circling around and taking his seat. "You know, you could just take a nap. Unless the GPS is wrong I'm not gonna need you to navigate and even then it'll be hours before directions are required."

"I can't." She shook her head. "I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to sleep again."

"That bad?"

"It's not just Eliot; the conditions there are just… let's just say the men in the infirmary are probably the lucky ones. That is _if_ they are receiving attention."

"They really were going to let him die?"

"Dr. Xing is not a bad guy; he was just doing what he was told…"

"I think the Nazi's used that excuse as well." Hardison interrupted.

Sophie scoffed, although he was right, there was a certain similarity. At some point the cruelty becomes too much and the choice you are left with is to deaden yourself to it or let it consume you. There was a comfort that came in being able to follow orders; you could pass off the damage as being someone else's responsibility. Sophie attempted to explain that to Hardison who simply refused to buy it. Instead she tried a different approach. "Hardison, he stopped the bleeding and reset the shoulder…"

"To make it look like he was receiving medical care on an autopsy report."

"He didn't stop me!" Sophie argued. "He knew what I intended to do and he didn't take that information to security like he could have, probably should have. I would have been taken off the premises or worse…"

Hardison hung his head down on the steering wheel. Everything about this mission was too real, too close; he wanted to go back to the World of Warcraft world where the game could be restarted if a character was killed off where a miscalculation didn't mean the life of a friend.

XXXXXX

Eliot was forced to crawl through yet another closing where his already labored breathing caused him to suck in a large quantity of dirt into his windpipe. He managed to get himself out before collapsing over into a coughing spasm. Nate followed behind.

"Hey, I'm going to sit you up, okay?" Nate warned hoping it would open the airway.

Eliot nodded still hanging on to his ribcage that jolted uncomfortably each time he coughed. By the time Nate had him up with his back resting against the wall the hacking had subsided.

"Eliot, stay with me!" He ordered tapping the hitter's cheek while watching the blue eyes begin to roll up into his sockets. "Eliot, damnit! Talk to me!"

"Huh?" Eliot grumbled; his gaze starting to come back.

"We're almost there. I need you to hang on just a little longer."

"What's plan B?" Eliot huffed.

"Putting this com in your ear and letting Hardison have at ya!" Nate threatened after taking it out of his pocket.

"Dontcha think I've been put through enough torture for one lifetime?" He teased.

"How are the ribs?" Nate asked satisfied that he was cognizant enough for the time being noticing the attention he was paying to them.

"Fucked up." Eliot replied honestly. "Pretty sure I cracked another one crawling through the last cave, but nothing has gone impaling into the lung yet."

"Thank God for small favors?" Nate asked sarcastically wishing at that moment there was wood somewhere he could knock on just to call in on some kind of divine assurance. "Okay, well, let's get you up. I mean it; we're on the last stretch."

Eliot gritted his teeth together at the movement it took to get his feet underneath him. He suddenly regretted not taking the full dosage of percocet which only served to dull the pain.

"We're at the mark." Nate called through the com he had reinserted into his ear. He had Parker make a big X with chalk when they were about a quarter of a mile out, figuring that would be about the distance needed to call Hardison and Sophie back.

'I'm reaching the entrance now.' Parker stated.

"Stay there until the van gets here. Hardison, how far out are you?"

'I can be there in fifteen.'

"Okay, do that. Raquel, I'm gonna need your help."

'Nate…?' Sophie questioned with a wavering voice.

"He's fine; it's just to save some time." He assured her as Eliot leaned against him to walk forward while Raquel doubled back.

'He's fine? Yeah, sure, I'll believe that. So fine that it's taken three hours to get this far; you know what that is? That's less than one mile per hour. My great granny Etna can walk faster than that and she's 99…' Hardison went on.

'Really?' Parker questioned. 'Wow!'

'Yeah, I know, big celebration planned this summer for her hundredth birthday. You wanna go?'

'Sure.' Parker shrugged. She enjoyed people watching as was she becoming more curious about what her team members did outside of work. She completely flew past the typical implication of Hardison inviting her to meet his family

'Great! As I was saying though, if he really was fine you wouldn't have taken the ear bud out. Don't think I don't know what that was all about…'

Nate smirked at the threat he had made earlier to keep Eliot conscious; he tuned the hacker out, instead focused on keeping Eliot from toppling over. Raquel made her way back quickly and stayed quiet as she took her own inventory of his physical condition. It didn't surprise her to find out Nate was utterly lying when he said the hitter was fine, but since there was nothing anyone could do about it but worry anyway the lie didn't seem so bad.

"Can you lift that arm?" Raquel asked him hoping to equal out the weight between her and Nate.

"Not by myself, no." Eliot replied.

"This might hurt a little bit."

"Yeah, 'cause that's a new sensation." Eliot quipped.

Raquel gingerly lifted the recently set shoulder high enough to slip her head underneath. He grunted, but her options were either that or pressing in against a very unstable ribcage in order to offer her support. Once she was in place the pace picked up as Eliot was doing very little of the actual walking.

XXXXX

'Parker, we should be there soon.' Sophie told her. 'The coast looks clear.'

Parker opened the hatch and lifted herself into the fresh air. Her eyes were already adjusted to the dark so instead of drawing out more attention she turned her flashlight off and placed it in the utility belt before looking around for the van.

"Get up!" Someone ordered her.

"Um…" Parker looked up at the man wearing an Interpol jacket with a pistol in hand. "I'm sorry, sir, is this a bad place for spelunking?"

"I know who you are. Arms up, sweetheart."

Parker raised her arms in front of her in submission.

"Good girl; now, where are your friends?"

"I don't know what friends you're talking about."

'Parker, we're coming!' Hardison assured her.

"Don't get cute with me. I know what's going on here, and I know you're not the whole cavalry. I can make this easy for you if you just answer my questions."

"Is that right? What are you going to do if I don't?"

XXXXX

Nate shook his head as he overheard her side of the conversation and nodded for Raquel to go forward.

"Is Parker in trouble?" Eliot asked figuring out the sudden dash.

"We'll take care of it."

Eliot swallowed down a lump in his throat; that was supposed to be his job.

XXXXXX

"If you don't?" Carl questioned as he shifted the gun in front of her face. Parker smiled almost in a gloat. He couldn't comprehend what the lack of self-preservation was all about. She saw his wheels turning and seized the opportunity to grab the guy's wrist and push it away before twisting; causing him to drop the pistol. Simultaneously, with her left hand she snatched the taser from the utility belt and dug it into his chest.

_'Grab, twist, strike.' _ She muttered to herself in triumph.

Parker saw the van pull up to a sudden stop; the sound of the tires squealing alerted a group of soldier's who appeared to be coming that way. "Hardison, turn the headlights off. I got this one, but it looks like more are on their way."

'Parker, I'm right behind you.' Raquel said finding the exit. 'I want you to help Nate get Eliot into the van and then you guys go!'

'You don't have to do that.' Nate told her.

'Don't worry about me; I'll be fine.' Raquel said coming up from behind Parker who pointed out the jeep that was headed over from the compound with four guys on it.


	45. Chapter 45

**Author's note: Are we supposed to be doing the 'warning, I do not own Leverage nor any of the characters' for each story written? 'Cause, if so, um… I don't, I wish, mostly I wish I shared a bed with Christian Kane, but you know…**

**I will apologize right now for anyone that feels I am torturing them. I promise after this chapter you will get more of the c in the h/c. Please R&R! Thanks for the patience. **

"Eliot wouldn't want you risking your life to save his." Parker told Raquel watching the jeep approach.

"I would have thought you'd be thrilled at the idea." Raquel stated knowing the thief didn't care for her.

"Not if it causes him anymore pain." Parker insisted. "That kind of stuff gets to him."

"What kind of stuff…?"

"Letting someone he cares about take the punishment. He still blames himself for standing by when Nate got shot." Parker explained forgetting that the team (excluding Eliot) was listening on.

Raquel doubted the level to which Eliot 'cared' about her. She wasn't family the way the others were, although she did believe that it would grate on him if anything did happen to her while trying to liberate him. "That…" Raquel pointed out. "That's nothin', I got this. The jeep is as good as mine, and I have plenty of places to hide. Make sure he knows that."

Parker looked at her questionably, but didn't have much time to argue. Instead she picked up the riffle that was lying next to the unconscious man and handed it over to her. "Could be useful." Parker shrugged.

"Thanks." Raquel took it from her and tucked it into her holster grabbing the hand gun she had used previously on the other guard.

"Parker!" Nate yelled out for her from the entrance. Parker raced over to find Eliot struggle to climb the ladder. She reached her arm out using the rest of her body weight as support for him to hoist himself up.

"Hey Sparky, don't mean to rush ya, but we have about 30 seconds before the situation up here starts to get dangerous." Parker warned him.

"Lovely." He coughed out feeling Nate holding onto his waist. He had gotten half of his body into fresh air when gunshots rung out. Out of instinct Eliot grabbed onto Parker and rolled her out of the line of fire.

"Nate, come on!" Sophie shouted opening the back door of the van for her teammates once the shots subsided. Nate surveyed the scene; the driver of the jeep had fallen over from a bullet wound, and Raquel was fighting off two others. He was cautiously looking for the last soldier when the weariness of Parker's voice demanded his attention.

"Eliot…" She called out; he was laying half on top of her as a human shield in dead weight. "Eliot, you gotta wake up!"

Nate stumbled over to assist in rolling the hitter off of her. He took a quick glance to check for any external damage before pressing his cheek up to his lips to feel for signs of life. Eliot's breath was broken and wheezy, but it was there.

"Parker, get in the van." Nate directed.

"But…"

"Just do it!" He ordered still listening to the fight going on.

"Nate, behind you!" Parker shouted.

He turned to find the fourth soldier standing over him. Not in the mood to be dealing with it Nate stood up with a thrust from the heel of his palm under the guy's nose causing him to drop back with one strike. Parker stood in a moment of shock.

"Go!" He insisted before scooping up the unconscious retrieval specialist. He could be thankful for the fact that although sturdy Eliot wasn't exactly a big guy, and from the looks of things he had probably lost a good fifteen pounds in the course of the past few days.

Raquel was working on finishing up with the last guy when Nate looked over one last time after setting Eliot inside to assure she was in control of the situation. Following her signal he rushed inside closing the door behind him. Hardison dropped his foot on the gas spinning the tires forward as they pealed out of there.


	46. Chapter 46

"Oh yeah, he's just fine." Hardison said sarcastically as he glanced behind while driving.

"Just focus on getting us across the boarder." Nate replied back while attending to Eliot.

"I've already bagged the IV with an antibiotic and saline drip." Sophie offered from the passenger's seat. "There's sterile needles in the supply chest, in a red bag.."

Parker rummaged through the chest digging through rags and bandages before locating the pack of needles and syringes. "I got it." She handed a packet over to the boss who attached it to the line before inserting it into Eliot's vein.

Parker watched as a spot of blood formed where the needle entered his skin. What held her attention was the fact that the hitter didn't move; he didn't grimace or twitch. He was completely and utterly still. She was waiting for something, anything to indicate that he was still in there somewhere; that he wasn't just a shell.

"Parker…" Nate looked to her hoping to bring her back.

She shook herself back into reality.

"Parker, can you grab me a cotton ball and tape?"

"Nate?" Parker asked handing the supplies over. "Will he wake up?"

"I'm gonna need a surgical needle and thread." Nate swallowed down the lump in his throat as he rolled Eliot to his side to examine the bandage that was applied to the base of his skull. He grabbed a rag and antiseptic before taking off the blood soaked gauze.

"That wasn't an answer." Hardison spoke up.

"That's because I _can't_ answer the question." Nate told them while cleaning the wound. He had asked Eliot for some assurance that he wouldn't slip into a coma, but they both knew that the hitter couldn't guarantee that. After multiple hits to the head there was no telling what kind of damage was done. "I don't know, but he hasn't given up thus far."

"It'd be stupid for him to give up now." Parker added still searching for more affirmation. "Right?"

"That's correct sweetie." Sophie interjected; giving her what she knew Nate wouldn't. Nate was thankful that Parker took it from whatever source she could get it from, ignoring the fact that, by trade, Sophie was known to tell people exactly what they wanted to hear.

"Hardison, did you pick up razors?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, there should be a pack of disposables in my duffle bag."

"Are you shaving his head?" Parker asked confused.

Hardison snickered. "He'll kill you, man, like D-E-D dead, and yes, I know that's not how to spell the word…"

"Can we not discuss that topic right now?" Sophie interrupted him.

"Sure, yeah, n… no problem." Hardison backed down as he heard the quiver in her voice and looked over to see silent tears passing down her cheeks.

Nate heard it too; he wanted nothing more than to hold her and quench away all her doubts and fears, but he had learned from experience that was an impossible task. The only comfort came with a happy ending that he wished he could believe in. Instead Nate focused on doing whatever he could to ensure that; he used the razor to shave away the small hairs on the back of Eliot's neck before applying a topical anesthesia to the sight. Parker watched what he was doing carefully and handed over a threaded needle when prompted. Nate handed her butterfly bandages for her to throw away as he took them off to sew the wound.

Once he was finished dressing the laceration he and Parker shifted Eliot to his back with a pillow under head hoping to take the pressure off his ribs. Nate searched through the bin to find an ice pack he needed to crack in order to activate.

"Where are we putting that?" Parker asked eying many notable bruises. Nate set it down on his right shoulder which appeared approximately twice the size as the left. She nodded in agreement and spread a blanket over her friend. "Now what?"

"Now is the hard part." Nate answered with three expectant ears geared for more. "We wait."

xxxxx

**Please don't hate me!**


	47. Chapter 47

They were a couple miles away from the Myanmar/Thailand boarder when Hardison located an unlit path for them to drive into a good half a mile as to not be seen from the road.

"What are we doing?" Sophie asked; uncomfortable with the idea of being in the midst of nature after dark.

"We are making it easier to cross over the boarder." Hardison stated while pulling out a couple license plates from beside his seat. "My guess is that this vehicle has been tagged by now and Thailand won't be keen on letting escapees into their country."

"This also gives us the opportunity to stretch our legs and relieve ourselves as necessary." Nate explained careful to keep his voice down as he looked over at Parker who was snuggled up resting her head on Eliot's chest. She had fallen asleep listening to his heart beat.

"Is that okay?" Sophie asked kneeing on her seat looking behind her to see what Nate was staring at. "She's not hurting him, is she?"

Nate shook his head no. "I've been watching to see if there's been any change in his breathing or anything. There's been no indication that he's in any pain."

"That's good, right?" Hardison asked. "Wait, no, I can see that scowl on your face, and dude, I don't want to know. Just pass me the torque wrench and I'll be on my way."

Nate picked up the tool and slid out of the vehicle to give himself a much needed stretch; he could feel his age catching up with him as the muscles in his body tightened after a day of hiking, digging, crawling, and practically carrying his comrade.

"You look exhausted." Nate commented to Sophie as she met him outside the van.

"Well that's no way to talk to a lady." She replied wrapping her arms around his waist. He buried his head into her hair and held her while Hardison changed the front plate.

"I didn't mean to imply that you weren't absolutely beautiful."

"No; just that I look like a raccoon." She put words into his mouth.

"Not hardly; I just think that once we cross the boarder you should put your seat back and get some rest." He tenderly stroked her face.

"Easier said than done."

Nate knew that it was a bad idea having Sophie pose as a prison doctor when she suggested it. He didn't doubt her ability; he knew she could pull off whatever was asked of her especially since the stakes were so high, but he also knew that the experience would change her. This was the side of Eliot that he had so gallantly tried to hide from his teammates; this was the reason he typically only got 90 minutes of sleep at night, a fact that Nate had picked up on the one time Eliot slept over at his place after a con. "I should have never let you…"

"Nate, I don't regret it, and… I'll be okay, you know? I have visited the Auschwitz museum. It took about a week to get a good night of sleep afterwards, but hasn't hindered my long term nightly habits."

"This is a little different." He reminded her.

"I know. I just hope it's not for nothing."

Nate took a deep breath before agreeing. The tidbit that Hardison had refused to hear was that the failure to react to pain on the Glaslow coma scale was a bad sign.

"We're almost set." Hardison called out to him; he was going to find himself a tree first.

"Did you need to…" Nate asked her.

"No!" She shook her head adamantly. "I can wait until we get to Donavan's."

"Right, you're more of a pluming princess." He teased her. "Who is this guy anyway? Why haven't I heard of this Donavan guy before? And are you positive he's okay with us staying…?"  
"Why the third degree, Ford? You jealous?"

"You're asking me to trust my team's safety on some guy, what? An old boyfriend?"

Sophie nodded. "You could say that; I really wouldn't, unless you count sharing a milkshake when we were eight. He was my best friend growing up; he went to Oxford to become a doctor where he met his wife, a lovely woman, by the way, and then settled in her hometown of Bangkok where he started his own practice."

"Sounds like a prince." Nate commented.

She smirked. "The genuine prince Charming; too…tame… for my taste, but um… I'd trust him with my life."

"That's good enough for me." He pressed her closer to his chest. "So ah.. this guy, he knows your real name?"

"Don't even bother to try. It won't work." Sophie warned him.

"What won't work?" Hardison asked coming up from behind her.

"Nate thinks he can con his way out of my name from an old friend of mine."

"Good luck." Hardison snickered. "You guys ready to blow this town?"

"Absolutely." They said in unison.

"Hardison, if you need me to take over the driving just let me know." Nate offered.

"Sure; once we cross over I'm going to need to find a gas station. We can change it up then." The hacker suggested; being that he was the least visible in the prison break he felt it better he be in the front cab going through the gate.

They piled back into the van each silently praying that the next step would go off without a hitch. They were all mentally and physically spent and Nate was short a back-up plan if they weren't allowed passage. Coming up to the gate Hardison and Sophie had their passports ready.

The guard took both, carefully inspecting the images. "Anyone else aboard?" He asked starting to shine his flashlight into the tilted window of the back seat.

Sophie flashed a brilliant smile and said something in the native language that made the guard grin back and proceed to flirt back and forth before he let them thru.

"How did you…?" Hardison started to ask while taking off into the other side.

"It's what I do." She shrugged.

"Well, love, we've made it out of that Godforsaken country." Hardison smiled.

"Practically in one piece." Nate responded cynically to himself.

xxxxx

**It's longer…**


	48. Chapter 48

As discussed, once they found an open gas station Nate took over the wheel. Sophie was still awake; going inside to use the facility and grab a fresh cup of coffee for both of them while Hardison sat in the back with a fresh orange soda hacking at his key board as a way to distract himself from peering over to the mattress. He felt like a selfish jackass admitting to himself that everything about that scene hurt him. He hated seeing Eliot, the man he looked up to being practically invincible, looking so helpless. And Parker, Parker seemed lost without him. Hardison wanted to be the one that could hold her and tell her that everything was going to be alright, but she needed that from her 'big brother'; the first person that made her believe that she was truly safe…secure, and that was Eliot.

On a psychological standpoint it made sense. Due to Parker's history she was emotionally stunted. She was able to maintain herself for years on the necessities and self gratification, but for her to develop into that person that could accept the romantic love of another person she required more. He told himself that he could wait for that; she was worth waiting for that, he just didn't want to lose her along the way.

"Are you still awake?" Sophie turned back to ask him.

"Force of habit." He shrugged; Hardison often stayed up playing video games until the sun came up. "I did stumble upon an interesting news wave from DC."

"Really?" Nate smiled.

"Yeah; it appears Interpol Agent James Sterling was arrested for what appears to be felony insurance fraud. He goes before the judge on Tuesday to enter his plea. His lawyer claims that this is a huge misunderstanding that they will be sure to clear up while Interpol has taken the stance of 100% compliance with the DCPD investigation."

"Darn that luck." Nate snickered.

"I don't suppose you know someone down at the station that could rough him up a little bit." Sophie pleaded.

"Ms. Devereaux, are you suggesting what I think you are? I thought you hated violence?" Nate questioned.

"For him, I think I can make the exception."

"Nah, don't know anyone at the station, but I may know a couple within the system once he gets put away." Nate assured her; his father wasn't exactly a stand-up guy and his 'friends' were scattered among the East Coast.

"Dude; you're bad!" Hardison shook his head.

"Maybe; but what did being good ever get me?" He tried following the rules and he lost his son; he would be damned to allow that to happen again.

"It's the next left, over here." Sophie pointed out allowing Nate's self-contempt a pass. They had learned better than to argue his role in what happened to Sam. No one, not even Maggie, could convince him that it wasn't his fault.

Nate pulled onto the road and followed Sophie's directions into the driveway. A man stood by the house pointing Nate into position for the easiest access from the van to the back door. Sophie was the first out of the vehicle with a full run to greet her longtime friend.

"You look as radiant as ever." He spun her around to get a better look.

"Are you kidding? I look like hell." She replied. "But you… have you been working out?"

"Hey Soph…" Nate interrupted the reunion. "Can we play catch up later?"

"Right… the patient." Donavan redirected. "How is he?"

"He's unconscious." Sophie answered. "He took a bad blow before crawling his way out of Insein, he held out as long as he could, but um… in the last five hours there's been no indication of him waking up."

"I'm sorry." He could see the look of grief as she explained. "There's a stretcher in the garage, if you could assist Mr…?"

"Ford." Nate reached out his hand. "Nathan Ford."

"Dr. Donavan Palmer." He returned the shake.

"Thank you doctor, for letting us stay here."

"Not a problem; I don't think I could say no to this one if I tried." Donavan patted Sophie's back.

"That seems to be a universal problem." Nate responded. "Um… while we're grabbing that, where should I direct the others?"

"My wife is right inside she can point them to their rooms. I'm assuming you want to get some sleep, otherwise there's a pot of tea we can warm up…"

"No, that's… that's fine. What you're doing is more than enough. Let me see if I can get Parker…" Sophie responded before heading back to the van to get at the sliding door. Hardison was already working on how to get the blonde away without waking her up, and managed to get her cradled into his arms before stepping out and carrying her to the house.

"I'm sorry we don't have enough rooms for each of you to have your own." Jaidee Palmer showed them to the room she figured the girls could share. Hardison laid Parker down on the bed and watched her snuggle into a pillow.

"This is fine." Sophie assured her. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank us yet." Jaidee replied as she looked out the window watching her husband and Nate carry Eliot from the van.

**Sorry about the** **spelling errors, I get excited to post!**


	49. Chapter 49

"Somehow I knew this is where I'd find you." Sophie looked over to Nate who was standing in front of the fully stocked liquor cabinet.

"Did um… doctor… Don… did he um, give any indication…?" Nate stumbled over his words knowing that Sophie had spent the last hour in the guestroom that Donavan had converted into a makeshift hospital. They knew that's where Eliot belonged but were sure that every hospital in Southern Asia would be tagged.

"No; he wants to run a cat scan before making any kind of prognosis. Right now it appears that he's resting comfortably; his fever is down, which hopefully means the antibiotic is taking."

"Either that or he stopped fighting." Nate replied as he took a drink.

"I wish you wouldn't…"

"I wish I didn't have to." Nate countered. "Sophie, those images, what you saw… they don't go away, and when it's someone you care about… I should have never agreed to this. My first instinct was telling me that not to do it; it was too dangerous. Eliot wasn't physically well enough…"

"It's not your fault…"

"I gambled on his life. Okay, so Sterling is behind bars, but does that mean anything if Eliot doesn't wake up?" Nate asked her before finishing the shot.

"He's going to." She replied quietly. "He has to."

"How do we get him a CT scan?" Nate asked pouring himself another drink. Sophie shook off the offer for one of her own.

"There's one in storage in the basement; apparently it's an older model still in mint condition though; Donavan is going to pick up the software from his office first thing in the morning to run it. Nate, how was he… in the tunnel?"

"He um… was, well, him, ya know? Stubborn to a fuckin'… He tried to stay strong especially if anyone, well Parker mainly, was around. He, ah, didn't want to lean on anyone because he didn't want to burden them so he held in every grimace and moan with each step for as long as he could." Nate sighed and took another swig. "He was stumbling, and coughing, and gagging, and I just kept picking him up; telling him to keep… going."

"Maybe that's the secret." She put her palm up to his cheek. "Just tell him to keep going."

"He was so tired. The thought of walking that distance was… daunting. I've never seen him that intimidated by anything. I told him that if he made it to the van he could sleep for as long as he wanted…"

"Nate!"

"I qualified it." He insisted. "Not that it matters. I knew he couldn't make the promise. I was just trying to keep him talking."

"You did everything you could."

"Not enough." He shook his head. "I screwed up; and you… you knew that. I didn't listen when I should have; I did when I shouldn't. I…"

"Stop!" She took the glass away from his lips. "Who cares? Who cares what did or didn't happen? This! This isn't going to help, it's not gonna help you, it won't help him. Pull your ass together, get some sleep, and in the morning you convince him he has something to fight for!"

"Why me?"

"Do you really mean to ask that?" Sophie questioned dumping the tumbler out in the sink before walking away.


	50. Chapter 50

"Oh my God, Parker, when did you get in here?" Sophie jumped, spilling most of her freshly poured tea on the guestroom floor. She had left Eliot's side only long enough to go to the kitchen and pour hot water into her mug.

"Just now." She replied perched on the window sill.

"Tell me you didn't go in through the…?" She couldn't imagine the reason Parker would have to scale the house and go in through the window, but it seemed with the young thief that was always an option.

"Door." Parker pointed at the open door behind Sophie looking a little befuddled at the question. "I just wanted to see how he was doing."

"He's resting." Sophie assured her.

"Why do people always do that?" Parker asked.

"Do what?"

"When they don't want to answer the 'how' they answer the 'what' instead. I know he's resting; I can see that. Has he woken up, at all?"

"No." The brunette shook her head.

"It's my fault." Parker whispered.

"Hh… what?"

"He was protecting me." She explained quietly. "He was almost there, and after three hours of Nate keeping him awake he umm… he heard the shots, and he pushed me away so I wouldn't get hit. We rolled, and he was lying practically on top of me. For a split second I froze, I saw… I saw his eyes roll up, and…"

"Parker, it's not your fault." Sophie assured her.

"She's a smart woman; you should listen to her." Nate said standing in the doorway.

"Like you're so keen on doing?" Sophie asked him eying the mug in hand.

"Coffee." He held it up for her.

She gave a prodding glance.

"Just coffee." Nate clarified. "Truth is Parker, his body was giving out; if he hadn't passed out then it would have happened in the van, but um… he did make it as far as he did for a reason. He wasn't going to throw in the towel; when have you ever known Eliot to do that?"

Parker smiled sheepishly.

"He's sick and he's hurt; his body needs this time to recover. So, we're just going to have to be patient and give that to him."

"I can do that." She nodded.

"Good." He nodded. "Now, I think there's breakfast in the other room."

Parker jumped down from the window sill to satisfy her growling stomach.

"Breakfast?" Sophie questioned knowing that the tradition Thai cuisine didn't tend to cater to the sugar high filled variety American's tended to partake in.

"I asked Donavan to pick up some cereal on his way back from the office." Nate explained.

"Oh." She nodded. "So he's back?"

"Yeah, he was going to be in any minute to help me bring him downstairs." Nate glanced at Eliot's lifeless form; tubes and wires running everywhere.

"She needed to hear that…" Sophie told him. "From you."

"I know; I just needed to believe it first."

"Do you?"

"My first instinct was that it was too dangerous, but Eliot was sure that he could do this. I trusted that then, I have to trust it now."

Sophie smiled; there wasn't much else she could say except the 'welcome back' she withheld out loud.

"Did you need a towel?" Nate asked looking at the water spilt on the floor.

"Yeah, I should probably clean that up."

"I got it. You should go lay down." It was obvious to him that she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep that night.

"Nate, I…"

"You don't have to sleep, just lay down. I'll come join you in a bit if you want."

She nodded slightly. "Thanks."

Nate watched her leave before turning back to Eliot. "Don't make a liar out of me."

xxxxxx

**Okay, my turn… he's sick and he's hurt; ****his body needs this time to recover. So, we're just going to have to be patient and give that to him.**

**:-) Love ya guys, keep up the reviews. Oh yeah, I don't start writing the next chapter until I see one ~evil grin~**


	51. Chapter 51

"All of you are thieves then?" Jaidee asked Parker and Hardison as they sat at the kitchen counter. Donavan didn't go into great detail about what his friend did for a living; prior to explaining why four of 'Sophie's' friends needed shelter from the Myanmar government all she knew was that 'Ms. Devereaux' was an actress.

"Technically yes." Hardison answered. "If you're looking at it from the standpoint of taking property that does not belong to…"

"I'm the thief." Parker explained crunching on her cereal.

"What makes what you do different from the rest of you?" Jaidee questioned.

"Nobody else seems to want to crawl through ventilation shafts." Parker responded. "Oh, and I'm the only one that's been able to break into a Steranko."

"Seriously? That's what you're boasting about? What my girl here is failing to mention is that particular escapade of hers didn't exactly go off without a hitch, you see..."

"All I said was that I successfully broke into a Steranko; sure, there were some kinks in the escape route, but I almost have those all worked out."

"Kinks? Is that what we're calling it? 'Cause from my vantage point your ass got yourself stuck doing a job you should have never taken. If your 'friend' hadn't gotten a hold of Nate you'd probably still be sitting in the air vent."

"Don't be silly, without food or water there would be no way that I'd still…"

"It more has to do with the method in which the artifact is taken." Hardison interrupted clarifying for the thoroughly confused hostess. "She is your pick-pocketing, safe-cracking, lock-picking thief. I'm a hacker; weapon of choice is the computer. I could steal a whole identity sitting in my nana's basement."

"But we don't do that anymore." Parker spoke up. "Well, unless they deserve it… or we're on a break, but... Nate turned us into the good guys."

"Donavan said something about using your 'talents' to help people." Jaidee commented.

"There are a lot of people out there that do the right thing; they follow all the rules and end up being victims to those that do not. The corrupt hide behind their money or their power and they think they are invincible." Hardison attempted to explain sounding a little bit too much like Nate for his taste.

"They're not. Nobody is." Parker added.

"So Mr. Ford took the best in the business and turned them into a team to protect the innocent?" Jaidee gathered.

"By taking up where the law leaves off." Hardison shrugged.

"The Government here has had its own share of problems, but in Myanmar it's… bad. Your friend… he um…"

"He was there about seven years ago causing a ruckus for the prime minister. He escaped in pretty much one piece, a sniper did take out a chunk of his arm, but um, he left with a bounty placed for his capture."

"That was just recently collected?" Jaidee assumed. "Besides making enemies out of corrupt political dictator's what his…?"

"Eliot." Parker corrected her.

"Okay, what's Eliot's role in the team?"

"He's our 'negotiator'; the back-up plan, as it were." Hardison smirked. "Eliot is a trained fighter, and although Nate doesn't tend to plan things to rely too heavily on physical force…"

"He's our protector." Parker chimed in.

Jaidee could tell by the looks she was getting that there was an overwhelming sense of concern for the man's health. She wished that there was more that she could do for them.

"How long do CT scans take?" Parker asked the other woman.

"About 10-15 minutes; Donavan should be done any minute… if you would like to go check." She offered Hardison as he finished rising his dish in the sink.

"Yeah, I can do that." He responded.

XXXXX

Nate found Sophie lying in the fetal position under the covers, although her eyes wide open. He sat down next to her and rubbed assuring circles on her back.

"What do you see?" Nate asked her gently.

Sophie shook her head not wanting to answer.

"After Sam died I couldn't shut my eyes. Every time I did I saw his tiny body convulse to the shock. I'd stay by Maggie's side as she cried herself to sleep, and then would sneak out for a bottle of bourbon until I passed out on the couch just to be woken up either by my own nightmares or hers. She knew I was hurting, but I figured I could keep up the façade in order to stay strong for her. Eventually that tore us apart. After a while I didn't even try hiding the alcohol. Instead of talking I would drown my sorrows; I couldn't tell her that I felt like a failure."

"I see the curtain to his cubicle. I know he's on the other side of it, and there's this wave of… cold, like, like a gust of wind or something. There's this little girl inside of my head that says 'no, don't go any closer' and like a plot of a bad horror film I do…" She flashes back to the infirmary struggling to say it out loud without crying. "For a minute there I really thought he was dead; my mind was playing tricks on me, but I swear for a split second I saw…"

"It's okay." He brushed his fingers through her hair and rested next to her.

"I looked down and for a split second it wasn't him lying there; it was a skeleton. I knew that wasn't right… I had to shake the image away before I could even check to see if there was a pulse… but every time I blink I…"

"He's not dead." Nate replied spooning up to her and wrapping his arm around. Sophie grabbed onto his hand and placed it over her heart which was racing.

"I know, but what if it was a sign?"

"What happened to the woman last night who was kicking my drunk ass in line?" Nate chuckled.

"I figured only one of us could break down at a time."

"Probably a good plan." He whispered. "Think of it this way; do you really think he could do that to Parker?"

Sophie smiled. "He wouldn't dare."

"He'll be fine. Just try to think of a place where you're happy. When you close your eyes, go there. Don't worry; I'll be right here."

XXXXX

"Doctor Palmer." Hardison called out from the top of the steps.

"It's alright, come on down." Donavan invited him. He was examining the images on his lap top.

Hardison came down the steps cautiously not wanting to look at the hitter in that condition; he wasn't sure if it was suppressed trauma from his papa, but it physically hurt Hardison to see Eliot incognizant. Instead he directed his attention to the open computer screen. "What do ya got?"

"Good news?" Donavan asked him.

"Only if you can tell me that whatever is wrong is treatable and Eliot's gonna be back to his angry and cussin' self soon."

"I… I can't make any guarantees." The doctor told him. "The good news is that there is no tearing or hemorrhaging going on."

"Which makes the bad news what?"

"There is a substantial amount of intracranial swelling due to persistent blows to the head; at least one of which appears to have caused a coup-contrecoup injury."

"You get all that from this image?" Hardison asked looking at the screen.

"You have to know what you're looking for. You should know that." Donavan indicated knowing about his skill set from his longtime friend, and then pointed out the markers in the picture, and explained to the young man the whiplash type damage that is received in that type of injury.

"Is it treatable?" Hardison asked him once he took his attention off the computer. He found the information interesting as long as it was data on the screen, but there was still the reality that it was his friend, a brother, that he needed to resolve.

"I have medication I can give him to reduce the swelling, and if that doesn't work the next step would be surgery." Donavan explained. "Unfortunately I'm still weary about his complete lack of responsiveness."

"Maybe he's just a heavy sleeper." Hardison suggested. "I had this foster brother that could sleep through a tornado without batting an eye, I swear to God; he did it, too. All the sirens were going, it managed to skip over our block, but dude slept through the whole thing."

Donavan smiled at the story realizing what it was that this young man needed at the moment. "Yeah, maybe that's it. Would you be able to help me get him upstairs; make him more comfortable?"

"Sure." Hardison gulped; praying that he wouldn't screw it up and make matters worse. "Doc, you ain't lying to me…?"

"No; it's too early to make any decent prognosis. I'll get the medication hooked to his IV and do another check of reflexes in a few hours. On the count of three transfer him over…" Donavan instructed before starting the count. Hardison wished that it was Nate down there instead but out of necessity he was able to assist flawlessly getting Eliot back into the bed. He applauded himself for the effort but ducked out before subjecting himself to watching the doctor stick needles into Eliot's flesh.


	52. Chapter 52

**Tissues may be needed...**

xxxxxx

_The sun was high in the sky, shinning brightly over the fresh green landscape as the spring flowers began to bud. The birds chirped in the distance announcing their arrival into Massachusetts after a long, harsh, snowy New England winter. The scene was serene, but wrong. Everything about it was wrong. The renewal of life, time marching forward… it wasn't supposed to happen. The universe had taken from them, and was now acting like it didn't care. It was laughing in their faces pretending it was okay to have a perfect day._

_Sophie stood still in the yard loitered with marbled plaques shaking. The weather was temperate, she was bundled in a cashmere sweater, but still she shivered; nothing could keep her from the cold, not since…_

_"We're gonna be late." Nate said standing behind her. She hadn't noticed his presence until he said something. Sophie turned around to see him in his black suit donning large sunglasses that she could only assume meant to cover bloodshot eyes and dark circles that accompanied them. She could tell by the scent of his breath that he had lost his latest battle with sobriety. _

_"I, um… I don't know if I can do this." She admitted. She was a seasoned con; the absolute best in her game, she had spent years fooling everyone at times even herself, but then, on that day, she didn't trust her ability to get through the next half hour without completely falling apart. The last time she saw Nate, or anyone else on the team, they were standing in the hanger just long enough to watch the Lincoln pull away before turning from the circle, or… could it be called a circle? Not with a missing… more like square. _

_"I'm sorry." His voice broke taking in all the blame on himself. _

_Sophie shook her head. "Just hold me." She pleaded; she couldn't handle another apology not when she couldn't offer the forgiveness or solace he was soliciting her for. She couldn't give him anything; it took everything she had to keep herself upright and she wasn't even sure how long she could do that without help. _

_Nate grabbed her arm and helped guide her through the grounds where they found the commune of people huddled by a tent. She recognized most of people the there; Cora, Willie, the owner of his gym, the family of the local Farmer's Market were among them. The casket was closed, per his request, a subject that had been only too casually discussed after she buried her own persona. Next to the dreaded box was his image. Perfectly preserved was the chestnut hair that fell to his shoulders, those crystal blue eyes, that half smirk that he typically only reserved to melt the heart of a female prey, and those strong, sturdy shoulders that they had all grown accustomed to leaning on. _

_Hardison stood next to Parker leaning his weight against the trunk of a sycamore. He had tried to place his hand on her back in comfort, but she had stepped away. Moisture sat at the bottom of his eyes as he was clutched tightly to the tissue in his palm. Parker stood silently, almost hollow, not a tear in her eye and looking past everything. Sophie wasn't sure if she knew anyone was there; she wasn't convinced she was even there… not on any conscious level._

_Within moments Father Paul stood up. He couldn't deny Nate's request to fly in from Chicago for this, not after what the team had managed to do for his congregation. He started by talking about what it meant to celebrate life. He spoke about the choices people make, and the highways they take; the directions they go and yet somehow always finding the way they were meant to go. He brought up family; the one you're born to, and the strength of the bonds made in the one you make for yourself. And finally the tragedy that comes with being taken away too soon. "I'm now going to open the pulpit for anyone that would like to say a few words." The priest invited them. _

_Everyone looked around for anyone strong enough to come forward; all hoping someone else would do it. The Father looked to Nate directly in encouragement. After hesitation he finally came forward. He scanned the crowd over before beginning, near the front he saw Maggie seated nodding to him as she realized this was the first he had noticed her. _

_"Thank you for coming, and thank you again, Father, for um.. being available." Nate started and glanced over at the picture. He slid the sunglasses off. No one was surprised by the disheveled appearance. "God, I don't know how to do this. Please, just bear with me, here. He, um… was a private person; he didn't tend to let a lot of people in or say much in the way of who he was or where he came from, but ah… life, it wasn't easy; not for what he did, but he didn't let that hold him down. He had seen some truly horrible things, and had some truly horrible things done to him." 'Inflicted some…' He thought to himself. "But he still held on to a passion for life; for music, for the feel of wind hitting his face as he rode… He didn't let a lot of people in; it wasn't because he didn't care, he did, deeply, and when he did he would do anything to… protect… them._

_"I don't need a show of hands or anything, but ah… my guess is there isn't many here that he hasn't taken a hit for so that they didn't have to. He hasn't always done the right thing, but um… he a tendency to do things for the right reason. He had more honor, and self-control than I've seen… some have called him a hero, or a champion, but um… to a select few of us he was family." Nate stood silent for a moment trying to swallow down the emotion. "I'm sorry, I can't…"_

_Father Paul nodded towards the guitarist who started the melody of an old Irish folk song that Nate had picked out for the occasion. After a short prayer the attendants were invited to McRory's for a reception while the team stayed back to watch the casket descend into its earthy tomb. It wasn't until the first shovel of dirt fell over it that Sophie finally broke, the picture had fallen over and the image shifted, his flawless features decomposing before her very eyes until what was left was that skeleton embedded in her memory. She cried out in pure agony…_


	53. Chapter 53

**Okay, okay… but you don't get to tell me this is a cop-out! Thank you for the reviews, please bear with my morbidity and keep reading!**

"Sophie!" Nate called out to and gently shook the grifter who was trembling and whimpering in his arms. "Come on, honey, wake up!"

He hoped that the gentle pull to consciousness would sooth whatever image was haunting her ailing mind unfortunately everything from her sensory perception came with her. Her field of vision was blurry behind the tears as she sobbed uncontrollably. She knew where she was remembering Donavan offering the use of the master bedroom for her to try to nap, but every sight, every smell, every scent clung to her.

"Whatever it was, it was just a dream. Sophie, it's not real." He encouraged rubbing her back to try to calm her down.

She knew that but she could feel… she felt… 'oh God' she thought feeling the bile rising in her throat before shooting up and darting over to the connected restroom making it just in time to crouch over the loo heaving.

Nate followed her, haplessly watching her as he ran the water from the sink to dampen a cloth and catch in the tumbler sitting on the vanity. After it appeared she emptied the contents of her stomach Sophie sat back resting against the slate wall. He handed her the glass to help her rinse her mouth and sat down next to her allowing her to rest her head against his shoulder while he pat down the sweat beads from her brow. He massaged her scalp waiting for the breathing to eventually calm before saying anything.

"Is everything okay in here?" Donavan asked poking his head through the open door.

She gave a slight assuring nod. "How's Eliot?"

"He's…well, hanging in there. Can I get you anything?" He asked still concerned with her pallor.

"No; what did you get from the CT scan?" She questioned.

"You have any crackers… juice?" Nate requested for her.

"Yeah, I think I have…"

"No." Sophie stopped him. Nate had hoped to get the update himself first but it was apparent she needed it now. "Please, just…"

Nate gave the nod of approval.

"The scan showed some impact damage, or bruising, to both the frontal and occipital lobe indicative of a coup-contrecoup injury and another sizeable concussion to the temporal. I've given him some medication to reduce the level of cerebral spinal fluid build up; this evening I'd like to run another scan to make sure it's helping…"

"If it's not?" Nate asked.

"If not we… um… we'd need to get him to the hospital in order to drill a hole into his skull to relieve the pressure before it kills off the oxygen entering his brain."

"Oh." Sophie responded not needing a medical license to know that was bad.

"Look; I know this is sounding bad, and I don't mean to scare you. Truth is, it could be a lot worse, besides the bruising there's no internal bleeding that we're dealing with. He doesn't appear to be in any risk for hemorrhaging or stroking, and the medication should help."

"How are his vitals?" Sophie pressed.

"Strong; I mean it, his heart beat, blood pressure…. Oxygen levels, all within normal range; even his temperature is getting close."

"That's… that's a good thing." Nate encouraged kissing Sophie's forehead.

"Glasgow?" Sophie questioned looking at Donavan for a straight answer.

"Six." He responded honestly. "Which… which has gone up since last night."

"Don." She pushed herself up shakily. "Forget, for a second, that I'm your friend. If this were any other patient, what would you be telling me?"

"I'd tell you that statistically the odds of a full recovery are within 34%. It's still early, and everything is indicative of the fact that he's holding strong." The doctor replied.

"Okay." She responded and walked past him.

"Sophie…" Donavan turned toward her, the name still sounding weird as he said it.

"Right now; she really just needs to be with him." Nate whispered.

"Should I still get that snack?"

Nate nodded. Now, more than ever, he needed the rest of his family to stay strong.

XXXXX

"Parker?" Sophie questioned coming into the guest room. "What are you doing?"

"I. um… didn't want to leave him alone." The thief responded. "And I, ah, got bored."

"So you decided to braid his hair?"

"Just a couple… like he's had it before. Jaidee said as long as I'm not moving his head around or pulling at the scalp it was okay, and she's a pediatrician, which she says is a doctor, so…"

"Parker, it's okay, and yes a pediatrician is a doctor. Why don't you go see what Hardison is up to? What?" Sophie questioned the girl's expression.

"He's lost in his computer world; has been for hours. How was your nap?"

"Not as restful as I had hoped." She responded as vaguely as possible.

"Come on Sparky, we're falling apart here." Parker prompted the hitter.


	54. Chapter 54

"She's right." Sophie said as she grasped Eliot's hand after Parker left to see if there was anything she could help Jaidee with in order to keep her occupied. "Sweetie, you gotta give me something. I can't very well live up to my end of the bargain of taking care of the rest of them if I'm losing it myself. We need you; _I_ need you… to be okay."

"I never thought I'd live to see the day…" Donavan came in with a tray of cheese and crackers.

"What day is that, love?" Sophie asked him.

"The day you admitted to needing anyone."

"I've…"

"Needed something _from_ them." He corrected her. "But you've never given enough of yourself over to anyone to truly say that you needed…"

"That's because I didn't know who _I_ was." She interrupted him. "I knew who I was supposed to be; I was good at playing that."

"I never asked you to put on a show for me…"

"I know that." Sophie responded.

"All you had to do was ask and I would have taken you away from it… from him."

"And give up everything else?" Sophie sardonically smirked; she had convinced herself that the life of a socialite was enough to 'deal with' the rest. "I was stupid… naïve, what I knew… people were props, you used them to take what you wanted… I'm sorry if I ever made you feel that way. Don, I did need you, I just didn't think I could offer what you needed from me."

"This woman I see now; I always knew she was in there. You've come a long way. Can you do an old friend a favor?"

"What's that?"

"Don't go back; whatever it took to get here, please, don't let… don't close yourself off. You have a _real_ family now to fall back on."

Sophie smiled. "I do, don't I?"

Donavan chuckled. "Yeah; now that Ford guy I'm not so sure about. I mean, he's a decent enough person, but, is he worthy of my little…?"

"Shhh!" She cut him off before he said anymore out loud.

He shook his head. "Are you ever going to tell him?"

"Of course; the day he becomes worthy."

"Don't drag that out too long." Donavan said seriously. "You deserve to be happy. I didn't mean to interrupt you, but Nate and I do agree on the fact that you need to eat something."

"Double team? Now see that's just not fair."

"Yeah right." He rolled his eyes. "You could take us both out with two hands tied behind your back and you know it. Just one little pout… Well, I should see about getting that lab report back."

"Which test?"

"Every one imaginable." He only slightly exaggerated. "Insein isn't exactly known for its sanitation and he went in with a very compromised immune system; I want to make sure everything checks out."

"I have no idea how to make this up to you."

"The only thing I want is for you to be happy; it's the only thing I've ever wanted."

"What about you? Are you… happy?" She questioned.

"I couldn't ask for more."

"Really? I always assumed that by now you and Jaidee would, you know, have…"

"Yeah, about that." He smiled.

"Oh my God! Seriously? I would never… when did you find out? And why didn't you say anything? Don, if I had known, I'd never…"

"That's precisely why I didn't say anything. We just found out a couple weeks ago. My parents don't even know yet. We wanted to wait until the second trimester before saying anything, but she's doing fine… and she didn't want you to feel like you were imposing. We _wanted_ to help."

"I guess now I know why you have crackers lying around. Congratulations; you're going to be one hell of father."

"Thank you!" He responded before backing out of the door satisfied with the genuine smile on her face. As he left to see if his fax had come through yet Sophie turned her attention back to Eliot.

"So, um… how much of that did you catch?" She asked him hanging onto his hand with both of hers. "It probably doesn't surprise you, though. Hell, you were the one to call me out on it. What was it? 'You don't con your own team'. I'm not sure if I ever did apologize for that, especially to you. You put your ass on the line for us every day, you deserved better than that. Can you forgive me?"

For a moment she thought she imagined the clench against her palm until she looked down to see his grasp release.

"Eliot? Come on, do it again, honey." She pleaded expectantly.


	55. Chapter 55

"Eliot, please!" Sophie begged.

"What's going on?" Parker asked coming in through the door that had been left open a crack.

"I think he's waking up." Sophie answered.

"Really?" Parker beamed.

"Well…"

"Nate, Hardison, get in here!" Parker yelled out. "Eliot's waking up!"

"Parker… I…" Sophie started to say before the guys coming running in.

"Oh, Parker, if this is some kind of joke I swear to God…" Hardison started as he looked over at a motionless hitter.

"Sophie said.." Parker pointed towards her.

"Sophie, did something happen?" Nate asked her.

"Yeah; he responded to me. Only briefly, but that has to be some kind of sign, right?"

"What do you mean he responded to you?" Nate questioned.

"Did he say something?" Hardison asked. "Or did he grunt? That seems more Eliot's style anyway; who needs to actually communicate when a one syllable sound will do?"

Hardison and Parker shared a smile between them.

"No; he um… he squeezed my hand. It was just once, but ah… I'm…"

"Hey doctor." Nate called out into the hall as Donavan walked by to see what was going on. "Sophie felt… him… move. Um… do you think you can check to see if he's coming around?"

"Sure." He walked over to Eliot's bedside to check the dilation of his eyes for any kind of response to the light. "What kind of movement?"

"He clutched my palm." Sophie responded.

"How long would you say he held it?" Donavan asked her.

"A second, maybe." She said quietly.

"Doc, anything?" Hardison asked once it appeared his brief exam was over.

Donavan shook his head. "It's not uncommon for someone that's been inactive for a sustained period of time to exhibit muscular contractions…"

"No." Sophie interrupted him. "This wasn't some involuntary muscle spasm, Don, I'm well aware of the bodies natural sleep cycle. You can't tell me that it's not possible that he had briefly returned to a stage 2 before falling back."

"You're right; I can't say it's not possible, but there's been no proof that he's experiencing any normal sleep patterns."

"But you think it's more probable that…" Nate interjected.

"He was responding to me." Sophie declared.

"Sophie, I know you want to believe that." Nate said calmly. "I know we _all_ want to believe that, but doctor Palmer knows what he's taking about. Logically it makes sense that as his muscles start to break down…"

"I'm not crazy; I _know_ what I felt."

"I'm not saying you are; I believe you felt something." Nate replied.

"I believe you." Parker tapped her shoulder.

"Thanks Parker."

Hardison kept his gaze fixated on the prone hitter fighting the urge to walk over and try to shake him awake in order to end the debate.

"Sophie, can I talk to you in private?" Nate asked noticing the affect the conversation was having on the younger team members.

"No, Nate, I got it. You can't trust my instincts because you're too damn scared of holding onto what you feel may be false hope."

"Soph, you're tired, maybe…"

"Don't even..!" She glared at him for the notion of her trying to go back to sleep. Bad dream couldn't adequately capture what she had experienced; she'd rather go head on in a battle with Freddy Krueger then go back to that cemetery where she lost her friend. Instead Sophie pushed herself to her feet in order to walk out.

"Where are you going?" Donavan asked her feeling he had somehow betrayed her for not backing her claim.

"I need to get out for awhile. Can I use your car?"  
"The key is by the door." Donavan nodded.

Without anyone noticing Parker had ducked out of the room and made it into the passenger's seat before Sophie made it out with the key. The grifter didn't say anything as she spotted the thief; just smiled.

"I was feeling a little closed in too." Parker remarked. Sophie reached her hand out to clasp onto Parker's as she turned the ignition. "I do believe you; he's gonna come back to us."


	56. Chapter 56

Nate's head dropped as soon as Sophie left the room.

"She'll be fine, she always is." Donavan attempted to console him.

"I doubt a pair of expensive shoes is going to fix this." Nate replied knowing full well where she was headed.

"Hey, did anyone see where Parker went?" Hardison interrupted the two older men.

"Um…?" Nate looked out the open door. "She'll turn up."

"Yeah; I'm sure, but it wouldn't have hurt, ya know?" Hardison replied.

"What?" Nate questioned.

"Just telling her that you believed her; I get that you're cautious, man, I do. After what you've been through I'd probably be left with little faith in medical science as well, no offense doc." Hardison addressed Donavan.

"None taken." Donavan assured him. "I need to get back to the lab report, but holler if you notice anything else."

"We will." Nate nodded. "Alec, not everything is about Sam."

"Seriously? Are you denying that your son dying has influence over your reluctance to have any sort of faith in a situation where _you_ are not in control? You were the one spouting 'trust him' when this crazy plan was being thrown out. Come on, Nate, if you can't trust that now, can you at least fake it? For them?"

"Is that what you want? For me to pretend that everything is okay?"

"Isn't that just what I said? I swear I said something very similar to that not but 5 seconds ago. Yes, 'mastermind,' that is what I want; I want us to come together and support each other like families are supposed to. We are all tired, and we're all on the verge of our breaking point. Don't think that I don't know that your mind has you racing to the liquor cabinet as we speak, but…"

"So what if it is? I've been clean all day, I swear."

"All day?" Hardison questioned. "Congratu-fuck-ulations!"

Nate rolled his eyes. "You want us to come together? What have you been doing all day? Oh, that's right, living in your own little fantasy land behind your computer screen."

"Oh, no, you did-int! You did not just…"

"Will both of you stop?" Jaidee broke into the conversation. "I can hear you both from out here. I don't know what's going on, but I do know that the tension isn't helpful to your friend, so if you can't keep it down I'd suggest taking this argument somewhere else."

"Forget it; I've said my peace." Hardison threw his hands up in the air before getting up to leave.

"Do me a favor; tell your little elfin friends I said hi."

"You know; you really are an ass when you're sober." Hardison spit out before walking past the hostess.

"I'm sorry about that." Nate apologized to Jaidee after moments of silence.

"It's a tense situation." Jaidee shrugged. "Just keep the voice down; contrary to popular belief he'll respond better to that."

Nate smirked. "You sure about that? I kind of expected Eliot to be the one to tell us to shut up."

"I didn't think you believed…"

"I do… here." He pointed to his heart; it was that which sent him running to Parker's call. "Unfortunately fact and logic tend to have a way of impeding on that."

"As a doctor he _has _to report the data; doesn't mean you have to accept it." Jaidee stressed. "And just because it's written on paper doesn't mean it can be deemed fact; those figures leave out a very important element; the human factor. A patient's family is the best judge of that."

Nate nodded as he took in what she was telling him. The only fact was what was in front of them the rest was just interpretation. "Thanks."

"I suppose I shouldn't be offering you a drink?"

Nate rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. "Apparently I'd be more tolerable if you did."

XXXXX

"Parker, those look fantastic on you!" Sophie commented on the silver pumps the thief was sporting.

Parker groaned. "I think I'd break an ankle trying to drop through an elevator shaft in these things." She sat down and to take them off.

"You're not always going to be repelling from buildings or crawling through ventilation systems."

"Okay, but they're not ideal for maneuvering through laser beams either."

"No, Parker, I'm talking about situations where we need to count on you for a more prominent role in the con portion of the job."

"Why would we need that? You're back now, right? I mean, you're not leaving again?"

"No; no, I'm not planning on going anywhere, but it doesn't mean we're not going to run into a situation where… Come on, Parker, they're exquisite."

"Then you get them." Parker shrugged. "Do you want me to steal them for you?"

"No." Sophie sighed. "You're not getting into this are you?"

"I know I should be; it's what normal girls do when they're upset; spend money and eat ice cream. I've watched lifetime."

"I'll tell you a secret; those girls on those shows, not normal." She snickered. "And if we're being brutally honest, it's not doing much for me either."

"Should we go back?" Parker questioned to which Sophie answered with a nod. "Can I drive?"

"Not a chance." Sophie responded emphatically.

"I'll buy the shoes." Parker offered.

"No." She refused to barter.

XXXXX

"Okay, Eliot; I've been told on numerous occasions that for some inane reason you listen to me. If that's true then this is time that I really need you to pay attention. I need you to fight your way back… now. I will give you whatever time and space that you need, but I need to know that you're okay; that you're going to get through this." Nate said unable to fight back the tear falling down his cheek. "Sophie says that you reacted to her, that you managed to find your way back long enough to um… respond with a grasp. I know that should be enough, but I'm gonna ask for more."

He sat by Eliot's side holding onto his hand waiting for any kind of reaction for a good 30 seconds before getting up and shifting towards the direction of the liquor that was calling out to him. He got to the doorway before hearing a soft moan. He spun around quickly wondering if it was his imagination.

"El…?" He walked a couple steps closer to witness movement under his eyelids.

"Hey." Donavan poked his head in. "I got the blood work back."

"Shhh." Nate cautioned him and in a whispered responded. "I think he's dreaming."

The doctor joined him at his bedside. "Don't wake him up unless he appears overly agitated. When he's out of REM you can gently persuade him awake."

"But he's…?"

"Appears so." Donavan smiled.

**Happy Halloween!**


	57. Chapter 57

"What level are you on?" Parker asked creeping behind Hardison.

"Girl, you have got to stop doing that!" Hardison jumped in response. "Where have you been?"

"I went out with Sophie; we looked at a bunch of shoes that we didn't buy or steal and then swung by the market to pick up some food. You hungry? There's some kind of rice dish in the kitchen, but apparently fortune cookies aren't a big thing here."

Hardison snickered. "Is that right?"

"Either that or I just wasn't describing it correctly." She shrugged.

"You're something else, you know that?"

"Something other than what?" Parker questioned.

"Come on, let's get some dinner." Hardison suggestion once he secured his safe point.

XXXXX

"Sophie, you shouldn't have done all this." Jaidee said helping her set out the food.

"Done? I didn't _do_ anything." Sophie laughed. "You are the one that has gone above and beyond when you should be taking it easy."

"He told you?" Jaidee asked her.

"Yeah; but don't be too hard on him, he didn't mean to. I said something and it kind of came out. He's not exactly a good poker player."

"I don't really mind you knowing. With everything going on I didn't know if it was the best time." Jaidee admitted.

"Are you kidding? I'll take all the good news I can get."

"I suppose that means you've spoken with Nate." Donavan said coming late into the conversation.

"No…? Why?" Sophie questioned.

"Oh! Um… you were right." Donavan replied.

"As much as I appreciate hearing that; do you care to be any more specific?"

He smiled. "Shortly after you left it became apparent that he went from a stage four to REM sleep; which means you probably did catch him briefly in two."

"Whoa, hold up!" Hardison responded coming into the kitchen with Parker not far behind. "So, what you're saying is that sometime this evening El went from comatose to sleep?"

"That's the gist." Donavan replied.

"But when you checked earlier…?" Parker questioned.

"He was in the deepest stage; very hard to wake up on a normal basis." The doctor explained.

"Why don't we wake him up now?" Parker prodded.

"And why didn't anyone tell me? I've been here for the last hour." Hardison responded.

"I asked Nate to stay with him to watch for agitation while he was dreaming. I gave him the okay to wake him up after."

"Why not now?" Parker asked impatiently.

"Because we have no idea what he's dreaming about, or how much damage he's dealing with, waking him up now could… complicate things." Sophie tried to explain.

"He's already going to be disoriented just being in a new place. There's no need to add to that by waking him up while he's in… well…" Jaidee expounded.

"A dreamland, somewhere?" Hardison finished for her.

"Okay." Parker got the point. "Can we at least go in there for when he does wake up?"

"Honey, we don't want to overwhelm him either." Sophie replied.

"But…"  
"Nate will let us know when we can visit." Sophie interrupted.

XXXXXX

"Alright Eliot, time to wake up." Nate pressed gently against his uninjured shoulder. Eliot's head moved slightly with an audible breath. "I'm not goin' anywhere until you do."

"Thought you said I could sleep for as long as I want." Eliot rasped; his eyelids still pressed together.

"Deal was you had to make it to the van." Nate chuckled pleased with the fact that not only was Eliot conscious but cognitively aware. "And I thought you said you weren't going to slip into a coma?"

"Never made that promise." Eliot reminded him battling to open his eyes a slit. "Everyone make it out okay?"

"They're fine." Nate assured him.

"Parker?" Eliot asked. Last he remembered was attempting to keep her covered.

"A little stir crazy, but otherwise typical Parker."

"Raquel?"

"I got a text a couple hours ago; she got to safety with no problem. The only one we had to worry about was you."

"I'm…"  
"Yeah, I'm sure." Nate cut off any efforts Eliot had to minimize the severity of his condition. The hitter groaned as his attempted to sit himself up. "No; lay down. I'm going to get the doctor."

"Nate…" Eliot stopped him as he inched toward the door. "Where am I?"

"We're in Thailand; friend of Sophie's. Doctor friend of Sophie's." Nate clarified. "We've been here for the past 24 hours; it's safe, and we're welcome to stay here until you get strong enough to fly home."

"'Kay." Eliot breathed out and let his eyelids droop. Nate made his way to the kitchen greeted by an expectant team.

"So?" Hardison was the first to say something.

"Doc, do you want to check him out?" Nate addressed Donavan.

"How does he seem?" Sophie asked him.

"Better than I would have expected; he seems to have retained his memory. He's just spent."

"Can we see him?" Parker requested.

"Parker, I think Donavan should first. I want a good gage of how he's really doing before he feels like he has to put on a show for the rest of us." Nate replied. Parker nodded in understanding. "If it helps; one of the first things he asked was if you were okay."

Parker smiled while Hardison chuckled and replied. "Yep; that's our boy. Broken ribs, bum shoulder, raging fever, and a bump on his head the size of a golf ball, and he wants to know how everybody else is."

"Pretty much." Nate responded before leading the doctor back to the guest room.

"Mr. Spencer…" Donavan addressed the hitter who fluttered his eyes open to the sound. "I'm Dr. Donavan Palmer, you can call me Don or Doc or whatever…"

"Eliot…" He muttered reaching his left arm out for the greeting.

"Okay; Eliot… I'm just going to ask you a few questions." The doctor waited for the nod. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three." The hitter responded.

"Good." The doctor replied.

"'Course, I see nine, but I, ah, gather you don't have three heads either." Eliot confessed.

Donavan scratched the bridge of his nose as he realized what the young man was telling him. "You, ah, know how to bullshit your way through a concussion exam, don't you?"

"Depending on the severity; I've been able to downplay it once or twice."

"I see; Eliot, you know that you only stand to hurt yourself by doing such now, right? I mean there's no real point, it's not like you're going to be going back to work before the pneumonia clears anyway."

Eliot nodded. "I know who I am, and I could probably name the leaders of over a dozen countries, but I don't have a clue what day of the week it is."

"Month?" Donavan asked.

Eliot closed his eyes long enough to think. "March?"

"Yes." The doctor confirmed. "Okay, we'll just skip past the rest. On a scale of one to ten, how much pain are you in?"

"Four…" He replied before looking over at Nate who stood by the door threatening to turn on the light switch with a glare. "Eight."

"All right; I'm going to get you some morphine, and there's some chicken and rice soup out here that I want you to try."

Eliot groaned.

"I know; but when is the last time you had a full meal?" Donavan asked him.

"I don't know; when was I at the apartment?" Eliot looked to Nate.

"About four/five days ago." Nate responded trying to figure it out himself through the time zone changes.

"I'm just gonna…" Eliot knew the dizziness he was experiencing wasn't going to assist in anything settling in his system.

"I understand, but we have to try to get some nutrients in you somehow."

"Can I see the team?" He requested.

"Briefly; I am going need you to get your rest. We will be monitoring you; waking you up hourly until the CT scan shows a significant change in intracranial pressure."

"'Kay." He responded; unable to object.

xxxxx

**Okay, are you happy? Now show me some love! Fantasylover: I'll take a white chocolate, macadamia nut. **


	58. Chapter 58

"Touch that thing and I'll kill you." Eliot threatened Hardison as he stood next to the light switch. He felt the blonde thief standing over him. "What is it, Parker?"

"How do you do that with your eyes closed?"

"It's a secret." He smirked glancing up at her.

Hardison's hand withdrew from its path into the surrender position. "Sorry man, wasn't thinkin'. Nice to know that bump you got there didn't mess with your glowing personality."

"Eliot, is it okay if we leave the door open so we have some light?" Sophie asked. The sun was long gone which left the hallway as the only source of illumination.

She watched him nod in response before finding a seat next to him.

"Dr. Palmer said we shouldn't stay long." Nate reiterated.

"Then we need to use the time wisely." Eliot responded hoping to avoid the awkwardness of them not wanting to piss him off by repeatedly asking how he was doing. "Anyone care to tell me how the plot to destroy our dear friend Sterling went down?"

Parker gave an evil grin. "I think Hardison should take this."

"Well, Nate was the evil genius behind that…"

"No; no, Parker's right. You take it." Nate passed the credit back.

"How much of the plan did Nate divulge to you?" Hardison asked Eliot.

"Nothin' really; asked me to tape Sterling feeding his own ego. Figured it couldn't be too hard; the guy's definitely overcompensating for somethin'. Was it useful?"

"Oh yeah; Sterling dug his own grave without even knowing it and is currently sitting at the DCPD awaiting his arraignment tomorrow. If he pleads guilty he's looking at twenty five years at Cumberland; chance of parole after fifteen."

Eliot shrugged. "No Insein, but I think I'll take it; please tell me he's sitting on a mountain of evidence."

"Enough." Hardison grinned. "If this gets taken to trial not only can he get busted for this, but it'll open up any hairy dealings he made while employed at IYS."

"How'd ya do it?" Eliot questioned.

"Raquel wasn't the only one helping out." Nate explained.

"We couldn't pull the con on Sterling and get you at the same time so Nate called in some old friends." Parker added.

"Would you believe that Sterling used the bounty collected in Myanmar to hire Marcus Stark to steal his very own painting out of the Smithsonian to collect a 2 million dollar insurance payout?" Nate snickered.

"Nice!" Eliot responded. "Dude, you're sadistic. I'm impressed!"

"No." Parker shook her head. "Sadistic would have been locking him in a glass box with about half a dozen rattle snakes and then watching as the venom slowly spread through his blood stream."

"Now see, why didn't we go with that idea?" Hardison teased Nate.

"Just think of the number of hits you could have gotten on youtube." Eliot snickered. Nate couldn't help but smile to 'the kids'' commentary; more than anything in was a nice change of pace witnessing that lighter side of Eliot again, but glancing over to Sophie it was obvious she wasn't amused.

"You're all out of your minds if you think it was worth it." Sophie finally spoke up. "Fifteen years? Eliot, we could have lost you for life."

"You didn't… I told you; I wasn't goin' no where." Eliot sighed before reaching out to hold her hand. "Look; I don't know how sketchy it got, but I can assure you that at no point was I reaching out to any great lights or watching some slide screen display of my life."

"Besides, Sophie, don't forget that this wasn't all about revenge." Nate spoke up.

"It wasn't?" Parker asked puzzled.

"No; Sterling had an Interpol profile going on each and every one of us. He knew our game; he knew where we lived. We knew the day was coming when he sought to use it; short of disbanding and disappearing to opposite ends of the planet our only choice was to discredit the guy." Nate responded.

"That doesn't mean that any of our lives are less valuable than the others." She glared pointedly.

Eliot rested his head back; too exhausted to be arguing with her. "I am not gonna apologize for protecting you, and before any of you start to think I'm some Goddamn hero for doin' such, I ain't."

"Eliot, not now." Nate tried to intervene.

"No; it's okay. I need to do this. I can't apologize for protecting you, but I can for terrorizing you; I'm a selfish bastard that would much rather be lying here than have to go through the hell that I put ya'all in."

"You can't tell me you weren't experiencing your own personal hell." Parker responded.

"This?" Eliot questioned. "Nah; this'll heal. Torture would have been forcing me to watch one of ya'all go through it. This is what I do so you don't have to."

"Fuckin' coward." Hardison mocked him.

"Yeah, maybe." He admitted.

"We forgive you." Parker insisted then tapped Sophie's forearm with her elbow for concurrence. Sophie fought with the response; the problem with an apology was an implication that the event would not be repeated. She knew Eliot wouldn't guarantee that.

"Okay." She replied. "This time."

"Good; on that note its time to let him rest." Nate shuffled the team out the door.

"See; he does love us." He heard Parker say in the distance.

"Yeah, just a big growling teddy bear." Hardison responded before the door was closed.

xxxxxx

**Thank you for the hugs and kisses and cookies and cheesecakes. The reviews rock, and so do all of you continually reading. I really hope my fluff is as good as my heartache. Lots more of the comfort to come! **


	59. Chapter 59

"Mr. Spencer, may I come in?" Jaidee knocked on the door.

"Don't know why you feel the need to ask. The hostess? I presume." He responded softly with a slight smile that let her know that she was free to enter without argument.

"Donavan asked me to bring you some." She held out a bowl of soup. "It's mainly just the broth; I figured we had to start somewhere."

"Thanks." Eliot smirked and attempted to push himself up.

"It'd be easier if you just pushed that button over there." Jaidee pointed out.

"You have an adjustable bed in your guestroom?" Eliot questioned the petit woman. "This refuge thing? Is this a normal Thursday for ya?"

"No; you would be the first, but when my baby brother comes over he likes being able to lounge around and watch movies." She explained tilting her head over to the flat screen hanging on the wall. Jaidee watched him struggle to reach the lever and walked over to his side. "Here, let me help. Ready?"

Eliot grabbed a hold of his ribcage before positioning himself ready for the weight switch as his upper body was lifted by the bed. After which, he sat with his eyes closed briefly waiting for the dizziness from the elevation change to pass. "So Donavan, he's your…?"

"Husband."

Eliot nodded. "Doc did well for himself."

"Yeah; I remind him of that every day. Is it alright if I call you Eliot?"

"Please do, and what would you like me to call you, darlin'?"

"I'd be okay with that, but I think the man dealing out your pain meds would prefer you call me Jaidee. Can I get you some tea, water, anything?"

"This is plenty. Thanks."

"I suppose that means you don't want an audience while you eat?"

"Could get kind of messy." Eliot responded still trying to figure out the semantics of holding the bowl and feeding himself with one good arm.

"You want…?"

"I'll manage." He interrupted her; the last thing he wanted was to be spoon fed. After she left he picked the bowl up from the end table next to him and sat it against his chest using the right hand to hold it in place allowing the more mobile of the two to bring the utensil to his mouth. There was something soothing about the way the hot liquid ran down his parched throat; unfortunately that feeling was short lived when it rumbled awake an empty stomach after only a couple spoonfuls.

Nate watched him from the doorway as he focused his breath in from the nose and out his mouth in a deliberate rhythm until it appeared he had control over the rebellious organ.

"You just gonna stand there?" Eliot huffed.

"I wanted to let you know that Parker is going to take the first shift. The rest of us are going to head to bed. Any instructions on how you want us to wake you?"

"Pretty much just like you did; call my name, gently press against my shoulder. Don't talk too loud, but ask me a couple questions just to make sure I'm coherent. Then let me sleep. I mean that; tell Parker that I need it."

"Okay; Eliot, if you need anything, anything at all, you let one of us know?"

Eliot nodded in agreement. "Can you have Parker give me another fifteen minutes before she comes in here? Gonna try to get a little more in me."

"Sure; goodnight Eliot."

"G'night."

XXXXXX

"Is he eating?" Sophie asked once Nate returned to the kitchen.

"Some; Parker, he requested another fifteen before you go in there." Nate repeated the appeal.

"How does he want us to do it?" Hardison questioned. "I mean, I love the guy and all, but I very much prefer not to have my nose bashed in trying to help him."

"Ahh, you'll be fine." Nate assured him. "The guy can't even lift his strong arm."

"That's all well and good and stuff, but his weak pinky still has the capacity of taking me out; some Vulcan death grip/Jedi mind trick crap."

"Awwwe; you're scared of injured Eliot." Parker tapped his head.

"I wouldn't say scared, per se, more like… cautious. It's a self preservation thing. I wouldn't go poking around an injured grizzly either, even if it was heavily sedated."

Sophie shook her head. "For all of our sakes we need to follow his suggestion. The last thing we want is for him to strain himself more thinking he has to fight us off. So?"

"Ease into it; verbally announce yourself first. Once his eyes are open, ask him a few questions; answers he should know, Parker, and then let him go back to sleep." Nate explained.

"It's not my fault that the record speed of breaking into a TL-30 Eurovault International isn't common knowledge." Parker argued.

"Parker, why don't you just keep it simple? Ask him his name, maybe his birthday, the country he's in right now…"

"His birthday?" Parker questioned. "Why don't I know that?"

Sophie tilted her head in query. "Come to think of it… do we know when that is? We've known each other for almost three years… I can't remember ever…"

"He's a private guy." Nate shrugged.

"Yeah, but I'd be nice to get him a cake or do something. He cooks for us all the time."

"Remember that feast he made for your birthday?" Parker questioned Sophie.

"I've never had lobster tail taste so good." Sophie admitted.

"June 27th." Hardison spoke up. The girls both spun around to glare at him. "He asked me not to say anything; didn't want the fuss."

"I should have known he was a Cancer." Sophie smiled.

"Wait; I knew he was sick and all, but…" Parker started.

"No; he doesn't have cancer, Parker. He is… his zodiac sign is the crab… it's…based on his birthday. Astrology says that based on when you were born there are certain personality traits associated with the constellation that's, oh, never mind. I'm going to bed." Hardison gave up when Parker started playing with the plant in the windowsill.

"That's not a bad idea." Nate added. "Sophie, are you… ready?"

"Are you going to stay with me?" She whispered to him; with pleading eyes.

"Yeah." He kissed her forehead. "Hardison, in five hours…"

"I already have the alarm set."

Once the goodnights were said Nate followed Sophie back to the girl's room and chivalrously turned away while he stripped to his boxers allowing her to change into her gown before inviting her under the covers.

"You know, a girl could get used to this." She snuggled next to him.

"Sweet dreams." He smiled allowing his fingers to rake through her silky hair.


	60. Chapter 60

Parker sat in the dark room intently watching his chest rise and fall between continuous time checks to the clock sitting next to her on the bedside table. She had walked in on Eliot adjusting the bed to a more comfortable sleeping position, and he appeared to be out shortly after that. She hoped that he was merely sleeping, and had to stop herself from trying to wake him up too soon. When the clock struck exactly 2:00 am Parker leaned in next to him and whispered. "Hey Sparky, it's me, come on."

His head rocked towards her as he rubbed his eyes. "Hey." Eliot whispered back.

"What's your name?" She asked him using the suggestions Sophie had given her.

"Eliot Spencer." He responded.

"What's your birthday?"

"August 12th." Eliot said without hesitation.

"Where…? Wait a minute… that's not…oops." She reacted to the look of rage on Eliot's face.

"How would you know that?" Eliot demanded.

"Um… I, um… pick pocketed…" She said hoping not to get Hardison in any trouble.

"Really? When?" He prodded seeing if she could come up with an occasion he had his actual ID on him.

"I don't know, it was… fine, okay; I just found out. Nate said that I should ask you something you could answer, and then Sophie suggested your birthday and that's when we realized that we didn't know… so…"

"Hardison told you. You and Sophie… damnit." He pressed into his temples.

"Eliot, I don't see what the problem is."

"I just… don't want a big deal made out of it."

"It sounds more like you don't want any deal made out of it." Parker rebutted.

"Yeah."

"Why?" She asked him.

"Because I don't!" He fired back. As he did she could swear she saw a tear in his eye. "Can we just drop it? Right now I just want to go back to sleep."

"Consider it dropped." Parker replied. She let the last question slide because he was obviously coherent, and he obviously didn't want to talk about anything else any further. She couldn't help to wonder, though, what had happened that would break the toughest person she knew down into tears. She tried to convince herself that she wouldn't press it; it was his secret and if he wanted them to know he would tell it. It wasn't as if she had ever been forth telling about her past. She had been conned into revealing the worst moment of her life.

XXXXXX

It was 5:30 when Hardison ducked his head into the room. The rest of her assessments had been brief without any mention of the day he was born. Parker motioned for him to step out so she could provide him with an update.

"How did it go?" Hardison asked her.

"Hardison, what do you know about his past?"

"Not much, why, something happen?"

"I might have let it leak that you told us his birthday."

Hardison clenched his teeth. "Dude's gonna kill me, ain't he?"

"I don't know; I kind of got the impression that he never wants the subject broached ever again. This is more than being gun shy about attention. He's hiding something that happened either on or around his birthday; I don't suppose you could maybe…"

"No; nuh uh. I am not going to go digging into his secrets. That's for him to tell when he's ready." Hardison backed up.

"What if he never…"

"Then we don't find out. If you want him to trust you then you have to do what he wants and let it go." Hardison advised.

"Okay; you're right."

"Parker…"

"No, I get it. It's done; forgotten."

"You sure? Don't make me regret telling you!"  
"I swear." She replied.

"Alright; you can use my bed, I already changed the sheets."

"You didn't have to do that." She smiled.

"That's not what Nana taught me; we made our beds every morning or no television for a week. It was only one time before I learned my lesson. That was the saddest Saturday morning of my life."

"Really?" She questioned what she could only imagine was an exaggeration.

"Well, at the time it was. That was when cartoons were good; ya know? I had to miss my Thunder Cats, Voltron… the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the real ones, before they went all CGI and crap, Lord, don't get me started on the utter lack of quality in the story telling; I mean, I was psyched when I heard the series was going to be revamped, but…"

"Goodnight Hardison." She interrupted his rant.

"Right, okay, I should…" He pointed towards the guestroom door. Parker nodded before rearing towards the open bed.


	61. Chapter 61

"Hey El, it's that time again." Hardison nudged his shoulder.

"No, it's not." Eliot grumbled.

"Tell you what, man, we'll skip all the questions if you can just maintain eye contact with me for like five seconds." Hardison bartered.

Eliot's eyelids were heavy as he fought his body's natural pull to drift to unconsciousness, but somehow he was stubborn enough to focus his attention towards the hacker.

"How many fingers do you see?" Hardison asked him holding up what looked to be a peace sign.

"Four." Eliot rasped.

Hardison frowned slightly but considered it some progress.

"Two of them pointed up, the other two in more of a downward position." Eliot expanded.

"Dude, that ain't funny! Why you gotta be playin' like that? Do you have any idea how freaked out you had the rest of us? Now you treatin' it like it's a joke? Can you comprehend the fact that we care? We actually care what the hell happens…"

"I.. I'm sorry, man, I didn't mean…" Eliot recoiled causing the hacker to grin.

"Nah, it's alright dawg, just playin'." Hardison confessed. "It's actually reassuring seeing you joke around a bit. I hope that means you're still not mad at me."

"For what?" Eliot questioned only seconds before it dawned on him. "Oh that."

"Yeah, that. I'm not gonna have to sleep with one eye open, am I?"

Eliot shook his head. "No; figured it would come out sometime; actually surprised I kept it this long."

"How exactly did you manage to keep your birthday a secret?"

"Didn't actually come up a whole lot, ya know? Maybe twice, first time I left the room before the question was ever asked, the second, I just pretended I was caught up in a game and never heard it."

"Why?"

"Hardison, I really don't want…"

"No; I mean, why keep it a secret? Why give Parker a fake date?"

"The trick to lying is confidence; as long as I didn't waver in the answerin' if she didn't know the truth there was no reason for her to doubt whatever I told her. With Parker until it turned into 'a thing' I doubt she would have even cared. I was more afraid of Sophie finding out and turning it into something."

"Hate to tell ya, but I'm fairly certain it is 'a thing' now. Parker already asked me to go digging for her."

"Hardison, no!" Eliot requested forcefully causing him to grimace.

"I won't. I…I told her no and she says she's going to leave it alone. Hey El, are you doin' okay?"

Eliot nodded slightly holding his eyes closed.

"I didn't mean to keep you up. If I keep the volume down, mind if I watch something?"

"Whatever you want." Eliot huffed out.

"You're gonna regret saying that." Hardison snickered checking out the DVD case where he found exactly what he was looking for.

xxxxx

**Sorry it's so short, but its either that or waiting another 24 hours or more for another section. Question for you guys… do you believe there are any major spoilers in this thing for season three? I had someone ask that's watching part way through season 2… I recommended finishing that season (due to references to Nate being shot in the finale), but besides miniscule references to Monroe, or Parker throwing the crowbar at Eliot's head I can't think of anything that would spoil season 3. **


	62. Chapter 62

Nate lazily stirred with a passed out Sophie rested against his chest. She appeared so comfortable that he didn't want to move in fear of waking her, but something in him couldn't resist combing his fingers through her hair and kissing the top of her head. For the first time in years the first thought that passed through his conscious in the morning had been something other than the path to the liquor cabinet.

"Nate…?" She croaked, battling the pull into awareness.

"I'm here." He cradled her palm. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah." She nodded her head while snuggling up closer. "Have we heard how he fared through the night?"

"Not yet, but they knew to let me know if anything went wrong." Nate assured her; anything like him falling asleep and losing consciousness again.

"He's going to be okay." Sophie stated/questioned at the same time.

"This is Eliot, in a matter of days we're going to have to sedate him just to keep him in bed."

"Don't tell me you didn't have your doubts?"

"Of course I did. As much as we don't want to believe it, he's only human; one insanely stubborn human, but still…flesh and bone." He stated. "Hey Sophie, what are we doing here?"

Sophie looked up to him with her big brown eyes. "We're staying in hiding until it's safe for all of us to travel."

"No, not physically doing _here_, I mean…" He attempted to explain feeling a flashback to the wedding job that they had done where the context was completely opposite. "Look, I don't want to ruin whatever _this_ is by overanalyzing, but…"

Sophie stopped him by reaching up behind his neck pulling herself closer for a passionate kiss on the lips. "Then don't." She warned leisurely dragging herself away.

XXXXX

"I'm confused." Eliot stated rubbing his eyes. "Is this a war, sci fi, or western flick?" He had been drifting in and out during the first half hour of whatever it was that Hardison was watching.

"It's not a movie." Hardison corrected him. "It's the first two episodes of a brilliantly written, highly underrated series that was stupidly taken off the air because a bunch of executives that wouldn't know what good television was if it bit them in the ass thought they could save a buck with more dumb reality shows."

"Oh, okay. That didn't answer my question. Wait, this is a series? H… How long of a series?" Eliot questioned suddenly understanding the 'you're gonna regret it' warning.

"Not long enough." Hardison replied. "But then there's the BDM."

"The what?" Eliot asked before grimacing to his headache.

"Dude, seriously, relax. If this is too much, I can turn it off."

"No, it's okay. Can you pull the shade, though?" He requested; the room just happened to expose itself to the East.

Hardison complied quickly.

"So I gather that's the bad guy." Eliot pointed the sinister looking character in a suit and tie that looked like he was hiding something.

Hardison smirked as it seemed the hitter was getting into the show; making the casual remark here and there and laughing to lines such as 'shot em?' 'politely.'

"He's a doctor?" Eliot inquired. "See; told ya he was the bad guy."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Donavan came in at precisely that moment.

"Um… I, ah… morning doc."

"Well, I can see how someone like you would find a person of the medical profession the enemy. How is he doing this morning?" Donavan asked Hardison.

"_I'm_ doing…."

"He's still in a lot of pain, but there's been no problems waking him other than the typical pull of exhaustion. It seems his vision is clearing, but remains sensitive to the light."

"That sounds like good news." The doctor responded. "I'm just going to grab your temperature and then bring you down for another CT scan. Then maybe we can let you sleep for more than an hour at a time."

"Oh goodie." Eliot replied sarcastically not happy with the fact that Donavan had completely bypassed him for the update, but opened his mouth for thermometer anyway.

"So, how is he?" Nate asked; standing the doorway as Donavan read the thermometer.

"You do know I'm sitting right here?" Eliot questioned.

"It's steady at 101." Donavan answered.

"Great; see, better." Eliot responded while adjusting the bed upwards allowing himself to swing his legs over to the side.

"Whoa, hold up big guy, what do you think your doing?" The doctor asked him.

"You said I needed a cat scan; we're not gonna do that here?" He started reaching for his IVs.

"Eliot we have a stretcher…" Nate started to explain.

"Hell no!" Eliot replied.

"El…" Hardison tried to reason.

"No; look, you had me walk three fuckin' miles in that damn tunnel, I think I can handle making my way down a few steps."

"Eliot…" This time the doctor started to object.

"Just… let him." Nate responded figuring in the long run the fight would just take more out of him and he was going to do it anyway. Eliot was shaky to his feet but pushed away any advances for help; as he stood he suddenly regretted the decision to do it solo, but didn't want the 'I told you so's' for the other people in the room so continued forward hanging on to the doorway for an extra couple seconds.

"Hey El, I'll pause it for ya." Hardison smiled.

Eliot laughed and proceeded forward not wanting the geek to know he appreciated the gesture.


	63. Chapter 63

**Author's note: This time I'm going to be the one to give away the cookies for those who guessed the show correctly. Yes, it was 'Firefly' and same schpeel, I own absolutely nothing but the DVD box set of the series and the Big Damn Movie (for those who didn't catch the reference of the BDM). More fluff/comfort to come, however much our perfectly gorgeous hitter refuses it.**

xxxxxxx

"Hey girl, what are you doing up so soon?" Hardison questioned Parker who sat at the kitchen counter with a spoonful of cereal in her mouth.

"Eating." She answered while munching. "Did he say more about the birthday thing?"

"What birthday thing?" Sophie asked coming into the room and pouring herself a mug of tea.

"Eliot gave me a fake birthday." Parker explained in a suggestive tone.

"Really? How? Why?" Nate questioned once he was sure Eliot got to the basement okay.

"I did what you said; I asked him some questions that I was sure he knew the answers to, and he lied about his birthday. It wasn't confusion either; he knew what he was doing. He didn't expect me to know the real date."

"Was he angry?" Sophie asked.

"Is he Eliot?" Parker shook her head in a nod.

"He's hiding something." Sophie concluded.

"Yeah, he is." Hardison spoke up. "But as I told Parker, we can't pursue this. Whatever it is, it's Eliot's business, not ours."

"Did he say anything about it to you?" Nate asked Hardison.

"Just that he didn't want the girls to know the date because he doesn't want to celebrate it; he wasn't angry it came out. He was sure it would eventually, but he _does not_ want to talk about it and _does not_ want it to turn into a 'big thing'."

Nate nodded. "I agree with Hardison. If that's what he wants, we leave it alone. Discussion stops now, that's an order."

"An order? You're ordering us now?" Sophie questioned him.

"I am the leader." Nate affirmed.

"Men." Sophie shook her head. "You think letting things fester inside is good for you, but do you know what happens when you do that? Explosions the size of Hiroshima go off leaving everything in the wake devastated."

"I think you may be exaggerating just a little." Nate replied.

"Really? We were this close to losing him, Nate!" Sophie held her fingers out a half an inch apart. "Something has him thinking that he's expendable, could it be routed in whatever has him reeling at the idea of celebrating the day he was born?"

"Hmm." Parker spoke up. "I think so."

"Do you really want to push him away?" Hardison posed. "He's not going to say anything; not until he's ready. I mean, I suppose you can google anything that happened on that date in the last thirty some years and maybe get somethin' out of it, but then what? You gonna confront him about it? Try to get him to open up? The dude still won't tell us what he did with his share of the first payout."

"I don't want to feel that way again; unsure if he's going to live or…" Parker spoke softly. "He needs to know that whatever happened before he's important _to us_."

"Then we show him that by respecting his wishes." Nate responded.

XXXXX

By the time Eliot got to the top step he felt like he was sitting on a Disney tea cup with the world spinning around. The scan itself went fine except the light in the room and the whirring noise of the machine was starting to get to him. He thought he could handle the course back to the bed but as his stomach lurched he took a detour to the restroom instead.

Eliot crumpled down panting heavily hoping to be able to control the nausea.

"Eliot, are you alright?" Nate asked knocking on the door. He waited briefly for an answer before continuing. "Okay, I'm coming in."

He found the hitter positioned with his head against his forearm resting off the rim of the toilet in controlled breath.

"You always have to do it the hard way." Nate remarked sitting down next to him. "It's okay to get sick; it's _okay_ to need help."

"I'm fine." Eliot responded once his system stabilized.

"Eliot, you suffered a severe head injury on top of countless others. I have no doubt you _will be_ fine, but it's going to take some time; which, by the way, we have plenty of; don't rush it."

Eliot shifted his weight back against the wall; his knees folded in front of him. "You gonna give me the patience is a virtue lecture?"

"No; even in seminary school I always found the virtue lectures incongruous coming from me. Ultimately, I think that's why I left."

"Deep down always was the outlaw." Eliot rasped with a grin.

"Way deep down, yeah." Nate confessed. It had taken him a long time for him to admit that to himself; an even longer time to admit that he was no better than the people he had been chasing. "But this isn't about patience as much as it is about doing what we have to in order to get you better. We want to help, and you don't have the strength to keep fighting us along the way."

"You're talking about changing who I am."

"Adjusting." Nate corrected. "I don't expect it to happen over night. How about we start with, what do you need right now?"

"A shower." He snickered.

"Well I won't argue with that." Nate teased him. "But ah…?"

"Can you see if the doc has a chair I can set inside?" Eliot requested.

"Sure, you're not going to need any help scrubbing…?"

"Naw." Eliot assured him. "That I can manage; maybe a little assistance getting the shirt off."

"Well, for that I could send Parker in." Nate smiled suggestively.

"Yeah, 'cause that doesn't spell trouble all over it." He knew that her intentions were pure, but her history of trying to help tended to prove counterproductive.

"Let me see about getting you that chair."

"Nate…" Eliot stopped him. "Thanks; I know I'm not always the easiest person to deal with, but I um… appreciate… you, you don't push, and that makes it easier…"

"You're welcome." Nate responded sensing the discomfort it took to get him to say that much. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Eliot nodded before dropping his head to his knees as soon as Nate walked away.


	64. Chapter 64

**No comments as to whether we're on the girls or guys side of the debate? Hope you enjoy the next installment, feel free to create your own visuals. Heart you all, please R&R. **

xxxxx

"Sophie, he had a tear in his eye." Parker explained to the grifter. "Whatever happened…"

"Honey, I know."

"I thought we agreed we weren't discussing this any further." Nate came into earshot.

"I don't remember a vote in that." Sophie refuted. "How is he?"

"Holding up; do you know where the doc or Jaidee are?" Nate asked her.

"Donavan is still downstairs checking over the images and I believe Hardison brought Jaidee into the bedroom to rave over her video collection." Sophie directed.

"Far be it for me to interrupt that." Nate responded sarcastically before leaving the kitchen in that direction.

"Nate…" Sophie called out to stop him. "Can we help?"

"He's looking to clean up; can you go through the bag Hardison packed for him and find something for him to change into?"

"Of course." Sophie nodded.

"And maybe a towel; wash rag."

"Sure." Sophie instructed Parker to grab the clothes while Sophie made her way to the linen closet before veering towards the bathroom. "Eliot, can I come in?"

She thought she heard him grumble something of the affirmative variety before stepping inside. He was still seated where Nate had left him but was working on pulling the sleeve of his sweatshirt off his right shoulder without moving his arm more than a couple inches.

"You got that?" She questioned hoping to prevent outwardly asking him if he needed assistance.

"Yeah; but I wouldn't mind if I had your help getting this over my head."

"Well, you know, since I'm here…" She smiled.

Eliot chuckled. "Something like that."

"Just let me know if I'm doing anything to hurt you."

"Darlin', breathing hurts, just do what you need to." Eliot instructed.

She nodded and carefully pulled the garment off his chest turning her head slightly to avoid reacting to his mangled midsection. Since she had seen him in the infirmary the bruises were joined by abrasions he had suffered from crawling his way through the rocky surface of the tunnel. The worst was still the blacken areas from which his ribs buckled and broke. "Donavan took the wrap off?"

Eliot nodded. "It's actually better for the healing as long as I'm not overly active."

"Eliot, how did that…?"

"It was a present from the prime minister; apparently he didn't appreciate my efforts to remove him from power. Lo seemed to take exception as well."

"Fancy that?" She replied. "You knew it was going to happen."

"When someone puts $500,000 out for your retrieval they don't mean to throw you a party. Can't tell me you don't know that. It's done; we're all here and safe. Mission accomplished."

"Just another day on the job? That's what I don't understand." Sophie said softly. "This 'the ends justify the means' mentality."

"Is that right? You of all people…" Donavan asked stepping in with the stool that Nate requested. The only chair that Jaidee could think of that wasn't wood was in the basement with her husband.

"That was different." Sophie stopped him.

"No; not really." Donavan replied but respected her privacy enough to let the conversation drop. "Can you get yourself up?" He asked Eliot; offering a hand to which the hitter reached out his own content with the assist.

"Careful…" Sophie warned holding onto him as he swayed.

"I'm good." Eliot assured them regaining his balance after the initial lift.

"Eliot, we'll be right outside…" Sophie responded.

"'Kay, I'll be sure to holler before I slip and fall and crack my head open." He teased her; feeding into that insecurity.

"You wanker!" She hit his arm.

"Too soon?" Eliot questioned the doctor who nodded.

"Little bit; as your doctor I am going to advise you to take caution. The swelling has gone down some, but sudden bouts of dizziness can be expected."

"Didn't need an x-ray to tell me that." He responded holding onto the wall.

"Let's give him some privacy." Donavan suggested to Sophie.

As soon as they left he sat on the toilet lid to allow for the rotation of the room to calm down before readying himself for the shower. He turned the water on as hot as he could possibly make it to release some of the tension that had built up from lack of movement. Most pressingly Eliot used the heat to initiate movement in the shoulder lifting his arm the 90 degrees with the help of the other hand a few times before massaging the surrounding muscles and trying it again attempting to lift it under its own power as much as he could. Once his shoulder and ribs protested the physical therapy enough to leave him with dancing black spots he moved on to applying body wash to the rag resting on his knee. He looked down to see the filth sliding down along his leg making the pastiness of his skin that much more evident. There was a relief that came with washing away the dirt and grime, and then being able to get his hand through the rats nest on top of his head. He was sure it was going to take a bottle full of conditioner in order to be able to do that again. Once that was done he allowed the wetness to rain over him until the temperature change began to get uncomfortable.


	65. Chapter 65

**Happy Thanksgiving**

xxxxxxx

"How long has it been?" Parker asked looking over at the clock. "It shouldn't take this long; we should check on him."

"I'm sure he's fine." Nate argued sipping on a freshly brewed mug of coffee.

"Fine?" Sophie sounded appalled. "He should be in a hospital right now; not roaming around the halls here."

"Doc?" Hardison questioned.

"Oh, she's right. He shouldn't be up and about right now, but you trying telling him that. He'll come to that realization…"

"Whoa, what?" Parker jumped down from her stool. "Are you telling me that you're allowing him set back his own recovery as some sort of lesson?"

"That's not what he's saying… dude, tell me that's not what you're saying?" Hardison addressed Donavan.

"Uh… it's…." Donavan started to say.

"Guys, Eliot has been taking care of himself for a long time. He hates feeling incapacitated or restrained and the harder we push the more he's going to rebel. Sometimes you just have to let the kid touch the hot stove." Nate explained causing a glance between the two men in indication that they understood each other.

"You can't be serious." Sophie responded to both of them. "We're not talking about a second degree burn here; if he has a dizzy spell and slips he could…"

"Parker…?" Hardison watched her leave the room.

"The water's off." She listened intently.

XXXXX

Eliot grabbed the towel that was hung outside the shower and used it to pat himself down before tying it around his waist. The unfortunate side effect from stepping out from a searing hot shower was the sudden drop in body temperature. Eliot carefully made his way over to the sink and fumbled with a toothbrush he had to remove from its wrapper before applying with toothpaste with one hand while trembling. While brushing his teeth the soap dish dropped from the countertop creating a harsh crashing sound causing the door to fly open.

"Are you okay?" Parker asked him stunned at the sight of his stripped chest.

He spit out the contents of his mouth before affirming everything was fine.

"Eliot, man, you… you're shivering." Hardison observed. "Like bad."

"Am I?" Eliot questioned as his teeth chattered. By that time he was resting his weight against the counter to keep him upright.

Parker ran out of the room to find another towel or blanket, or anything that could help while Hardison approached the hitter whose eyes were clenched from yet another dizzy spell. He was noticing a trend of approximately a minute and a half on his feet before the brain swell threatened to force him down. Unconsciously Eliot transferred his weight over as the hacker offered his shoulder

"Let's get you back in bed." Hardison whispered to him.

"Okay." Eliot complied without resistance. At that point if he could just snap his fingers and be there he would.

"Dude, we can get the stretcher…" Hardison offered feeling the hitter's weight drag back. Eliot shook his head and pulled himself away from the other man trying to prove that he didn't need the extra help. He staggered his way to the guestroom where Sophie was waiting with a navy blue velour bathrobe.

"Parker said you were cold." She told him as he reached his arm into the hole; Sophie aided with the right side before knotting the tie as he sat back into the bed.

"Where should I put this?" He held out the towel that had been wrapped around his lower half. Sophie grabbed it away from him before guiding him back and lifting the covers over him hoping to keep the shivering down.

"I got it." She promised watching as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"I hate this." He admitted.

"Nobody likes being sick." She brushed the wet hair away from his face to check his forehead with the back of her hand.

Eliot shook his head. "…Feeling helpless."

Sophie sat beside him on the bed and spoke gently. "I don't blame you there. We all abhor the role of the victim; that's what makes us so good at what we do. We can relate to those who call on us just looking to regain some kind of control."

He thought about asking her to expound figuring that thought had more to do with the nonverbal conversation between her Donavan than it had him; however he knew he couldn't ask her to open up if he wasn't willing to do the same.

"Oh good, you did manage to get yourself back here without falling over and breaking your neck." Hardison entered the room. "Dude, if you weren't so freakin' stubborn… if you wanted to get washed up, all you had to do was ask; there's three beautiful women here that would have been more than willing to come to your aide."

"Hardison," Sophie stopped him. "It's done."

"Yeah; whatever." He shook himself away annoyed.

"Hardison, the… the show?" Eliot posed.

The hacker turned back with a slight smile. "Later, bro; you should… rest."

"He's right. Get some sleep, El." She pulled the comforter up and kissed his forehead. Eliot grunted something before drifting to the pull of unconsciousness.

XXXXX

Parker sat in the Palmer's backyard rock garden watching the fish swim around in the pond.

"I didn't notice how beautiful it was out here." Nate interrupted her contemplation.

"It's hot." Parker managed to spit out.

"Well, yeah, it's… just before the hottest season of the year here." He explained to her.

"He was shivering so badly… how?" She questioned wiping away the sweat from her brow.

Nate sat down next to her. "He's going to get better; we'll make sure of it."

"Right, by letting him put his hand on the stove?"

Nate shook his head. "They don't do that more than once."

"I did." Parker admitted. "Not an actual stove. Candles, sometimes, you know, try to grab the wick to put the flame out. I saw a foster sibling do it once and thought it was so cool; the first time I burnt my finger and got teased, it made me want to prove that I could do it even more."

"How old were you when you got it?"

"Six." Parker beamed. "And then I got dared to jump off the roof."

"Do I want to know how this story ended?" Nate smiled.

"A broken leg, and a nice nurse who explained the use of a harness."

"Of course." Nate laughed.

"I didn't get to try it out before I was moved to the next family." Parker expanded.

"I'm sorry." He reached an arm behind her and put it over her shoulder. "But we're not going anywhere. This is a family of survivors; great alone, and even better together. I know it doesn't always seem like it… 'cause, well, we're…"

"Broken." Parker looked up at him from her gaze at the pond.

"Yeah; yeah, that's the word."

"There are days I forget how different I am. I've never fit in before; I've always been looking on from the outside… I saw what 'normal' was, but never before has it just been okay to be me, broken and all."

"That's not going to change." Nate attempted to assure her.

"It does; things start to go well, and you begin to get comfortable then something happens. It destroys everything…"

"Parker…"

"He doesn't fear the stove. Trust me, I know; I think we need to know why." She appealed to him.


	66. Chapter 66

"Hardison, I brought you some food." Sophie came into the living room and set a tray next to the hacker.

"Thanks." He responded and looked at the time on his desktop.

"Nate has you working on that again?" She peered over his shoulder to see him looking up information on Damien Moreau.

"No; Nate didn't tell me to do this, but the clock is ticking and I had to do something to keep myself busy. Oh, um… surprise, surprise, Sterling pleaded 'not guilty'; court starts in two weeks."

"If were lucky we might be able to catch the end of that." Sophie smirked. "What are you finding?"

"Nothing hairy, but he's a professional; I did attempt a cross reference on Moreau with Moretti and got a hit on a wholesaler 'Caffee Esotico'. It looks like our Moreau has his name all over the financials. Problem is; it appears to be a legitimate coffee company that produces and ships to several International markets; most of which spread throughout Europe and North America."

"Of course it is; a legitimate business set up by the Italian mob to export whatever they desire out of the country. Pack it and ship it with the beans and the authorities turn the other way." She explained. "So Nate was right about that connection?"

Hardison nodded his head. "Of course if we take the job and knock down Moretti that has the unfortunate consequence of putting us directly on Moreau's radar."

"Which means we go after the wholesale operation." Nate spoke up from the back of the room.

"How do you suppose we do that?" Hardison asked him.

"I don't know yet." Nate shrugged. "It's not going to matter until we're at full strength."

"That could be months; I doubt the Italian woman is going to wait that long." Sophie responded realistically.

"She's going to have to; I just finished telling Eliot this morning that he has plenty of time, not to push it. I'll tell her that if she wants me bumping heads with the mob we need him on the top of his game not only physically, but um…" They all were aware of the emotional toll this was taking on all of them.

"And if she doesn't listen to reason?" Hardison questioned.

"Then I tell her to come up with a plan that doesn't involve our hitter… I don't know, Hardison, I just… I don't know."

Sophie stood up to approach him. "We'll figure it out. Hardison, keep doing what you're doing, but ah… don't let Eliot know you're doing it."

"What about Parker?" Hardison asked.

Nate shook his head. "No; not yet. Sophie, I want you to help her out with a project. She's convinced that the only way to repair the damage is to find out what it is that he's… holding back. Of course, if it's approached the wrong way he's just going to close up that much more."

Hardison sighed in defeat. "You all know just how much he appreciates being conned by his own team."

"Who said anything about conning him?" Sophie posed.

XXXXX

Parker watched Eliot mumble restlessly in his sleep.

"Eliot…" She tried to wake him from his nightmare.

"No!" He shot up suddenly causing her to jump back.

"El…?"

When his eyes opened his palm went straight to the pounding in his temple easing himself back. "How long was I asleep?"

"Almost four hours; doctor said it was okay. He hooked you back up to the antibiotic, you're fever was spiking again."

Eliot looked at the IVs taped to his arm. "The other one?"

"To bring down the swelling; you're supposed to let me know if you want anything for the pain." Parker held up the pill bottle. "Oh, and you're expected to eat that."

He saw the glass she was pointing at and glanced over confused.

Parker shrugged. "Some kind of milk shake; apparently is has most of your vital nutrients; protein. You know? Milk, does a body good."

Eliot smirked to the remark, but made no move to grab it. "You mean now?"

"You haven't eaten all day." She looked away from him. "If you want to be able to walk around freely then you're going to need the strength in order to do so."

He saw look of wary as she refused to maintain eye contact. "I suppose I might have tried that a little prematurely."

"Ya think?"

"You know how you constantly ask if there's anything I'm not good at?" He posed to her from conversations on his aptitude to cook and sing and play every sport on the planet including darts. "Well, this is it. I completely suck at being a patient."

"I'm sure you'd do fine if you tried, just a little." She told him almost pleadingly.

"Can you grab that for me?" He eyed the glass that luckily had a straw sticking out of it. "And two of those pills?"

Parker smiled to the request, and somehow she knew that was the reason he was doing it. However, whatever the reason she made sure he had anything he asked for. "How does it taste?"

"Tastes fine." He lied; truth was he wasn't tasting much of anything. After a couple sips he waited to make sure it was settling; when it appeared that wasn't going to be an issue he continued thankful that is was only 8 ounces. He then shook the glass in front of him. "Done!"

"And all it took was a cute blonde." Dr. Palmer stepped in pleased with the result.

"You played me!" He feigned disgust at Parker.

"It was for your own good, Sparky." She patted his head.

"Here." Donavan handed him the thermometer which he obediently put under his tongue.

"You realize we just gave him ice cream?" Parker told the doc.

"Eh, it was already melted." He responded before taking a peak. "It's going the right direction. Should I let the others know you're up?"

"Yeah."

"You know Hardison is going to make you watch Firefly?" Parker cautioned him.

"Is that what that is?"

"It's actually a good show except that River is crazy, and there's something particularly unsettling about that Badger character, I can't put my finger on it." She described; Eliot was stuck on the notion of a crazy river; he scooted over on the bed allowing her to sit next leaving the chair empty for Hardison to come in and start up the show.


	67. Chapter 67

Hardison watched Eliot rest with his lids pressed together gently. He went to grab for the remote when Eliot stopped him.

"Dude, you've been passed out for like the last 20 minutes." Hardison responded.

"No, I haven't." Eliot croaked.

"Really?" The hacker questioned.

"Ship was attacked by Reavers; everyone's dead. Jayne conned the doc into suiting up despite claustrophobia and then found out he did it wrong." Eliot proved his point.

"Parker's right, you got some kind of weird sixth sense thing going on."

"Auditory is one of the five." Eliot glared at him.

"Oh? It was your auditory sense that knew I was reaching for the light switch the other day?"

"Well, kind of." The hitter shrugged. "Let's just call it hyper aware of potential threats in my surroundings."

"Sure. Have you always been this cautious?" Hardison asked him. Eliot had a tendency to tell the truth when asked, but only that piece of the truth that he was willing to be let known.

"No." Eliot admitted. "Growing up, I um, learned several forms of martial arts and fighting styles, but never developed a discipline through any of 'em. I was strong, and quick; a fast study, but always accused of being a little too arrogant."

"What happened?"

"Life did; I grew up." Eliot responded and turned his gaze to the flat screen. "What is it about River that's so familiar to me? Something about the way she moves it's very…"

"Distinctive?" Hardison laughed. "Summer Glau was the terminator in the newest Sarah Connor Chronicles."

"Naw, that's not it." Eliot responded having not owned a TV in the past few years.

"I don't know then, before this she was a dancer."

"That's it."

"Oh no, man, do not tell me you shagged Summer Glau…"

"No, wait…" He stopped to pretend to do an internal inventory before smiling. "No, she was in that show with that vampire with a soul."

"You watched Angel?" Hardison replied back almost accusatory.

"I wouldn't really saw watched. I mean maybe caught a few episodes… in syndication; that lawyer dude was pretty cool, never really did get to see him get the upper hand on that sissy ass sorry excuse for a creature of the night. What?" Eliot questioned. "Dude, my girlfriend liked it."

"Ah huh." Hardison remarked under his breath figuring it best not to comment on the fact that Summer played a small role in one episode of the series which he had just indicated knowledge of at least one and two. "Bro, you know that lawyer guy died…"

"I know, sucks too, it should have been Angel."

XXXXX

"How is it again that we're going to get Eliot to tell us without conning him?" Parker asked Sophie.

"By getting him to trust us enough to open up." Sophie responded.

"And again, we go about this how? I'm not entirely convinced he ever truly got over what happened with the David heist."

"Did you?" Sophie asked her for her honesty.

"Of course, but half the time I don't really know the whole story of what's going on during the con anyway. Nate just tells me which vault to break into and as long as the victim gets their payout in the end it's a job well done."

"Alls well that ends well." Sophie quoted.

"Eliot, on the other hand, has to know what's going on; he has to know when something changes so he can adjust his own strategy." Parker explained. "The fact that he didn't know put the rest of us in danger. That's what got him so angry and why he took it so personally."

"For a girl that claims not to understand people you sure have that one figured out." Sophie responded.

"I've been practicing the stuff you taught me, and he can actually be pretty honest if you ask him something directly. Of course, he'll politely tell you to go to hell if it's none of your business."

"Politely?"

"Yeah, it's the southern charm thing." Parker smiled.

"Well, first thing we have to do is let him get stronger and show him that we can trust him to know his own limits." Sophie explained.

"But…" Parker started to object.

"I know; I didn't say it was going to be easy, but you were right we have to show him how much he means to us, that we _need_ him; physically, mentally, and emotionally. He's important, he matters."

"So, we do what Nate says and let him touch the stove a few times; I still don't see how that's going to get him to spill his soul."

"It may require a little give and take."

"Like what? You guys already know my big secret; I mean I don't know what else I have…"

"Not you, Parker." Sophie corrected her.

"You've already told him your name."

"Yes, but I haven't told anyone who she was."

"Oh." Parker responded before thinking a little deeper to what she was suggesting.

"I think it's also important that we show him how much he means to us while respecting his wishes to keep certain things off limits."

"Huh?" The thief questioned before Sophie whispered something into her ear. As she did Parker's eyes lit up. "How is this not conning him?"

"Subtle manipulation without actual deception." Sophie explained. "It's still his choice."

"I can live with that." Parker shrugged.


	68. Chapter 68

**Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving weekend! Um… for those questioning, this chapter does reference events in season 3. Again, I am going to say that I do not own Leverage or any of its characters , nor do I own Firefly or Angel, which I'm sorry if I spoiling for those who have not seen those series, you really should! Yes, I can be bribed! Cyber goodies or pictures/m-vids starring our favorite Leverage hunk… an Eliotwhump story of your own, reviews help… anyone that can get Whimsey to post another chapter of her stories I'll give them a spoiler if they want ;-) Hope you enjoy! **

xxxxx

"How long have you been out here?" Sophie asked Nate sitting beside him in the rock garden.

"Haven't been keeping track." He replied still staring down at the coy beneath him. There was something hypnotizing about gazing at the pond that captured time and allowed him to think a little more clearly. It was either that or the lack of alcohol.

"Are you working out the Moreau thing?"

"I hadn't gotten that far yet. Still sorting out what got us here." Nate admitted. "You know, I was the one that first cut off communication. We were playing a game of pool and he just wanted to give his condolences for what happened to Sam. I didn't want to discuss it, certainly not with some thieve that didn't know what the hell he was talking about, so I callously told him that we weren't friends."

"That was a long time ago. A lot has happened since then."

Nate nodded. "Yet somehow I was dim-witted enough to think I was the only one driven to this life by calamity. I had chased every single one of them; during that first con I knew exactly what they could do, but I thought I knew who they were. I wasn't even close."

"You thought you were better than us." Sophie reminded him.

"It really took until finding out about Parker's brother that I even started to grasp this idea that maybe they did know. I was just so absorbed in my own grief; nobody should have to go through the pain of burying their child, nobody. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not Sterling, not even Blackpoole."

Sophie chuckled. "Maybe Thein Sein. What? I said maybe."

"Sophie…"

"You're right; but I can wish _he_ was dead."

"Oh, yeah! I'll join you there." Nate insisted. "I just now find myself wondering… he's one the most honorable people I've ever met, and yet he can take a life without batting an eye. What had to have happened for him to get there?"

"According to Parker he's having nightmares. Well, he had one earlier, she couldn't say if it was reoccurring."

"In the infirmary you said he was delirious; did he say anything particularly off?"

"Not that I can recall; he thought I was Aimee, he apologized for having to take off again, and wanted to know if I could forgive him…"

"Sophie, what?" Nate asked as it looked like she was remembering something.

"When I walked in the intern, Lwin, was cooling him down with the towel. He um… was saying something about how it was his fault, and she was better off having never known him."

"That's vague." Nate commented.

"But useful."

"How?"

"You'll see." Sophie insisted.

"I suppose we could always just ask Aimee." Nate suggested figuring that if she was such a large part of his life she had to know something.

"Didn't you say that it had to be gone about the right way? After the thrashing I got last time for telling her about his hospitalization there's no way in hell I would suggest calling her in order to pick apart his past behind his back. No. Eliot has to be the one to tell us."

"You're just going to manipulate him…"

"Persuade." She corrected him. "It sounds better; besides, you gave me permission."

"Great, I'm going to get blamed for this, aren't I?"

"If it goes badly." Sophie smiled and then brought him in for a kiss meaning to quickly pull back but Nate wrapped his arms around her in order to linger a little longer until her back was pressed against the stone bench they were seated at.

XXXXX

"Are you guys still watching this?" Parker came into the room with a bowl of popcorn.

"Ya damn straight." Hardison replied.

"Is this the one where Mal's wife…?" She started as she sat down on the bed.

"Parker!" Hardison stopped her. "No spoiler's please."

"Oh, sorry." She replied although the tone of her voice suggested annoyance above anything else. "Want some?" She offered the boys.

Hardison grabbed a handful while Eliot shook his head no.

"Still nauseous?" She asked him.

"Yeah, little bit."

"Eliot, how many concussions have you gotten since we started, you know, working as a team?"

"You mean on the jobs?" Eliot questioned, figuring she wasn't talking about his time in Pakistan or other recreational activities.

"Yeah, on the jobs."

"Should I ask what you're doing when you're not hanging around with us?" Hardison questioned the query.

"What? Ms. Glau can get a bit rambunctious." Eliot teased.

"Yo bro, that ain't right, do you have any idea how many fantasies have starred that woman?"

"What woman?" Parker asked missing the apparent jab.

"None, na… no one." Hardison quickly took a back step.

"Oookay, seriously though." She directed her attention back to Eliot.

"Wh… why is that important?"

"I can be careless and dismissive; I hate to think that I may be doing things that cause you more pain than you should have to deal with."

"I don't know, Parker, maybe half a dozen."

"How many before that?" Hardison asked all of the sudden expressing his own concern knowing that a multitude of head injuries wasn't good for anyone.

"You guys, seriously, it doesn't matter."

"When?" Parker asked him.

Eliot cringed feeling his irritation mount trying to find a way out of the conversation. "I don't remember, okay, really, it's no big deal. Just another bruise…"

"To the inside of your skull." Hardison finished.

"Has it ever been my fault?" Parker continued.

"No." He replied hoping that she'd believe him.

"Sophie says the only time a man looks her in the eyes is when he's lying."

"When I was hit by the car, but Parker you were doing what you thought was right. That girl did deserve a chance, and I was only yelling because I felt like shit. You had no way of knowing what was going to happen."

"At McRory's when you said you had eaten earlier…?"

"After taking the cab home I spent the next four hours in the bathroom; probably shouldn't have had that beer." Eliot confessed.

Parker grabbed another handful of popcorn and leaned back to continue watching the show.

"Parker…" Eliot looked to her to see if she was alright.

"Now we know what to look out for." She replied and returned her attention to the screen.


	69. Chapter 69

"Dinner is ready." Donavan announced to both Hardison and Parker. "How long has he been out?"

"He stopped responding in the past half hour." Hardison answered careful not to jump to a conclusion. "I assume he's asleep, but he's been keeping his eyes shut fairly consistently."

"That's good; he shouldn't be straining to keep himself awake." The doctor insisted. "And this allows us the perfect opportunity to let him rest."

"Right." Hardison caught the not so subtle hint and stood up from his chair.

"Doctor?" Parker questioned once Hardison left the room. "How many concussions are too many?"

"One." He answered grimly. "Honestly, I don't think medical science knows the answer to that question yet or if there can be an answer. Any blow to the head can be fatal whether it's your first or thirtieth. There has been more research as of late to the long term effects of repeated head trauma done with athletes in contact sports but unfortunately at this point results are taken post mortem. They've found a specific tau protein associated with brain trauma… and this is more than you wanted to know."

Parker stared back at him.

"One concussion increases your risk of another. The best thing you can do is allow yourself to heal fully before resuming your regular activity." He answered more directly.

"How long does that take?"

Donavan shrugged. "It depends on the severity; it could be a couple weeks, it could be months."

"For Eliot?"

"First let's worry about getting him out of bed without him feeling like he's about to fall over."

"And then what?" Nate asked sneaking up behind them.

"Then it's a matter of watching out for Post Concussive symptoms. I'll give you a brochure on it before you guys go. It gives some good physical and psychological warning signs." He spun around to tell Nate.

"I'd appreciate that." Nate responded. "Parker, go get some food. You can come back after dinner… if you eat all your vegetables."

Parker stuck out her tongue at the thought.

"Parker…." Nate said warningly.

"I like them when Eliot makes them." She muttered under her voice.

"Hopefully we won't be in your hair too much longer." Nate stated once the thief was out of earshot.

"We don't mind…"

"That's very decent of you, but I would have never authorized putting you in this position if I would have known that your wife was with child. We still can't be certain that the Myanmar government won't track us down."

"She promised not to tell you."

"Huh?" Nate questioned. "No, Sophie didn't… I mean, she didn't have to. I… was married, went through all nine months, I know the signs."

"You're a father?" Donavan asked him.

Nate turned away slightly. "I, um… was."

"Oh; I'm sorry." The doctor offered his condolences. "Not to sound too forward but… you still are."

Nate glanced over at the sleeping hitter. "Maybe."


	70. Chapter 70

**Hey, sorry about the wait! My Christian Kane CD finally came in the mail today, and LOVE IT! If you haven't gotten it what are you waiting for? Can't wait for season three to start back up, anyone know how long it takes for the full episodes to load online? Again, I'm going to beg for the reviews… if I get over 5 today I'll post another chapter tomorrow ;-) Thank you all for the support, I'm still seeing new people put this into their story alerts and favorite stories, I really do appreciate it! **

xxxxx

Each day that passed Eliot slowly gained more strength; he continued physical therapy on his shoulder getting it to a point where he was at least able to bring a utensil to his mouth without much effort.

"Eliot…" Parker peaked her head through the door on their fifth morning there. "Did you want me to get you some breakfast?"  
"Naw." Eliot shrugged causing the young thief to pout; his appetite was coming back as he became more capable of eating without having to check in with his stomach after each bite. "I can get it."

"Are you sure?" She asked him worriedly.

Eliot clenched his jaw fighting the irritation that built each time a team member asked him that questioned. "Yeah." He sat up gingerly.

She went over to his dresser and grabbed a t-shirt, pair of jean shorts and boxers for him. "Here."

"Parker, I can…" He started to spit out before calming himself down. "Thank you. I'm going to wash up; I'll meet you in the kitchen?"

"Sure." She nodded. "Jaidee started the coffee pot."

"That sounds great." Eliot responded and eased himself off the bed satisfied with the fact that standing didn't elicit the dancing polka dots that he was becoming accustomed to.

XXXXX

"Did he want anything?" Sophie asked Parker.

"Yeah, to be left alone to do everything himself." She muttered. "He was too polite to say it, but…"

"This is good." The grifter told her. "You have to admit he's been better about not pushing it the last couple of days."

"Yeah." Parker agreed.

"Parker, it's going to take all of us some time but if we're going to get back to where we were we just have to let it happen."

"What are we letting happen?" Hardison questioned.

"Eliot's going to join us for breakfast." Parker answered.

"That's great; are we sure that he's…"

"Ready?" Eliot asked coming in fully dressed and towel dried hair. "Not sure if I can run a marathon yet, but I think I can handle sitting at a table."

"Food is in the dinning room." Sophie pointed him in that direction and then encouraged the others to follow.

"Oh, hey!" Nate turned to see the hitter. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Eliot smiled at the attempt of small talk. "It was fine." He lied; for the last few nights his dreams had been plagued with nightmares causing him to wake up in a cold sweat several times through the evening.

"Sit down." Donavan invited him to the table full baked goods that Jaidee had Parker help her make.

"Oooh, I cut the berries for that." Parker came in and announced as Eliot grabbed a slice of berry filled pastry.

"You let her handle a knife?" Eliot questioned the hostess.

"They said it was okay." Jaidee passed the blame to Nate and Hardison.

"Hey man, as long as you tell her which way to point it it's all good." Hardison explained.

"Fair enough." Eliot shrugged catching an evil eye from the thief.

"What's on the docket today, bro?" Hardison asked him. "I think I spotted some 'Battlestar Galactica' in there."

"Please no." Eliot shook his head having enough of staring at a television screen while Hardison mouthed just about every line. "What would you guys say about maybe getting outta here for a day? Let the doc and Jaidee have some time to themselves?"

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Sophie questioned him. "I mean, if something were to happen how would…?"

"What would happen?" Eliot snickered. "What? I spend a day away from the doc and you're scared I'm gonna fall back into a coma?"

"She didn't mean it like that." Nate offered.

"Look, I ain't talking about pulling a job or nothin', but maybe sit out at the beach for an afternoon. You can't tell me we're not all feeling cooped up."

"Eliot, the Myanmar government…"

"Either thinks I'm dead or skipped town by now." Eliot interrupted Nate's argument.

"Hey man, maybe give it another day or so." Hardison suggested feeling the same as everyone else that he had just gotten out of bed.

"Fine." He finished the last bite of the piece he had broken off and stood up to walk away.

"Wait, Eliot!" Parker stood to follow but Nate quickly grabbed onto her forearm.

"Just give him a bit." Nate cautioned her.

Sophie shot Donavan a glance hoping for some sort of suggestion. Everything the young man was feeling was normal, especially for someone that typically lived a very active life.

"Nate's right, give him some space. He's bound to feel restless and irritable." He explained leaving out the part where depression and irritability could also be a symptom of a post concussion syndrome, but easing their own doubt he added. "I wouldn't suggest any day long ventures at this point."

"Care to tell him that?" Hardison requested.

"He knows." Donavan responded.

"Let me help with that." Nate offered as Jaidee stood to bring the dirty plates back into the kitchen. The teamed helped clean up before breaking off to separate parts of the house in order to keep themselves entertained. The leader followed his instincts outside to find Eliot seated on the stone bench looking down at the pond. "Bet it's nice being able to breath in the fresh air?"

Eliot nodded. "Missed it; course it's also nice being able to look into the sunlight without the urgency to hurl."

"I can see where that may be a bonus. Mind if I take a seat?"

Eliot scooted over to allow for the mastermind to sit next to him.

"It's going to get easier; as you get stronger they'll…. We'll ease off ya."

"You sure about that? Nate, it's not going to go back to the way it was. Maybe the best thing for me to do is go…"

"Eliot…?"

"I see the looks, the worry; it's not safe! If they can't trust that I can do my job then how am I supposed to be able to protect you when…"

"Whoa, wait? You think they don't trust you to do your job? Eliot, nothing is farther from the truth. You have proven over and over that you are the best at what you do and there is no one else that we would trust to have our backs in turmoil. If you haven't noticed the rest of us don't have a scratch on us. None of us spent a moment behind bars… that's because of you!"

Eliot let his head rest against the palms of his hands.

"We're not going to let you walk away. Like it or not, we're family. The concern isn't your ability to protect us; it's our ability to protect you." Nate rubbed the hitters back before getting up and allowing Eliot the time to think about that.


	71. Chapter 71

"What would you be doing?" Sophie asked approaching the hitter in the rock garden.

"Huh?" He questioned, not looking up from the pond.

"If we were to go out to the beach, what would you see yourself doing?"

"I guess reclining in a lounge chair with a good book, or um… just taking in the sights." He grinned.

"Yep, you're male." She shook her head.

"Where is your mind going?" Eliot asked innocently. "I was merely talking about watching the waves crash against the shore."

"Sure, you were." Sophie smiled causing Eliot to give sheepish shrug. "What if I can meet you half way?"

"How so?"

"You and I go out for a little bit? There's a book store right in town that actually has a fairly decent selection of material in the English language. We can pick some stuff up and maybe sit in the café for awhile."

"I'd like that."

"Good; give me a second to let Nate know where we're headed and we can take off."

"'Kay; you think the others are gonna miss us?"

"Doubtful. Hardison is lost on his computer and Jaidee has Parker working on some kind of art project; that girl can really draw."

"It sounds like Jaidee is a good influence on her."

"She keeps Parker out of trouble; you know, as a child she missed the part where her mom would color with her or bake cookies together." Sophie explained with a hint of sadness in her own eyes.

"Yeah, instead she was burying herself alive or playing get-away driver." Eliot shook his head; it was hard not to feel bad for Parker. She never had a chance at a normal life, but that didn't keep her from finding her own happiness. As crazy as that giddy smile was whenever she had a fresh stack of cash in front of her it warmed his heart to see it. Sophie ran into the house quickly before inviting Eliot into Donavan's car. "I don't suppose you'll let me drive?"

"Hmm." She feigned contemplation. "No."

"Had to try."

"I'd expect nothing less, and I'll admit it's kind of comforting." She looked over at him in the passenger's seat. "There were moments that I… um… doubted you'd be… I thought we lost you. I had a dream that you were gone. I was at your funeral. I've never felt so cold and empty…"

"I have." Eliot whispered. "I'm sorry for the pain I caused; I learned a long time ago that this life doesn't allow for company. Too many people get hurt."

"In case you haven't noticed, the rest of us chose it; so you don't exactly get to make any decisions for us." Sophie reminded him. "Hey, you mind me asking… have you always been Eliot Spencer?"

"Name my daddy gave me, why?"

"Curious; I mean, you know, that I have…"

"Switched your name about as many times as you've changed shoes, yeah, I know." He replied.

"Name your daddy gave you?" She inquired.

"He named me after his uncle; died in World War II, only nineteen years old."

"Oh, didn't realize…" She replied back apologetically.

Eliot shrugged. "That was long before I was born; the way I see it, it could have been a lot worse. Mama wanted to name me Leonard; thank God they didn't have another boy."

"Leonard?" She giggled. "I just don't see it."

"It was bad enough being Eliot, why do you think I had to learn to fight?" He snickered.

"I somehow doubt you were the one getting teased in the school yard."

Eliot bowed his head in attempt to present his humility. "To be honest; I was left alone most of the time. I was always the new kid in school; military brat and all. After class I'd spend my time in whatever martial arts studio or dojo was closest to base. I was gonna be big and strong just like my papa."

"Am I sensing a bit of hero worship?" She teased him.

"Isn't that better than the alternative?" Eliot asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"I know there's that assumption out there that he physically abused me." Eliot responded and shook his head. "He'd never… I mean, sure, he'd give me a good whoopin' if I tried getting smart with him, but only on the rear and only with an open palm."

"So, your urge to protect Randy…?"

"Was about doin' what was right. No child should have their innocence taken away like that, and no one should be laying a hand on someone unable to defend themselves. You want to go sparing with someone your own size then fine, but the rest are off limits."

"They should be." Sophie responded softly.

"What about you? What turned an innocent little girl into a pathological liar?"

"Our daddies didn't share the same values." She admitted as they pulled in front of the bookshop.

XXXXX

Nate stood over Hardison's shoulder as he dug deeper into Moretti's business dealings. He was hitting a dead end with Moreau so decided going the other route instead. "Man, you standing there ain't helping."

"Sorry, I… is there anything..?"

"No. I think this is about all the hacking I can do without physically infiltrating his offices to dig out more information. I mean, we have a good start, but…"

"No; I get it. This is about the time where we do the manual scan. Have you been able to find the Italian woman on there?"

"You mean in terms of locating her whereabouts? Good luck with that! She tends to be the type that just pops up when she wants to blackmail you."

"I've noticed." Nate rolled his eyes. "It's just the last thing I want is for her to show up here making demands. It's not like she hasn't already threatened all of your lives; it won't matter to her if going after Moreau now will cost us his; as long as someone is around to complete the task."

"So we tell her we can't unless he's better." Hardison responded.

"Well, that's the plan, but if Eliot thinks we're getting bullied, then…"

"He'll push himself…"

"Exactly." Nate responded.

"Do you think Sophie's working him over now for information?" Hardison asked the leader still leery about the idea of trying to pull out of the hitters past without consent.

"I think… it's an opportunity to get him into a setting that's a little more comfortable for him, and present a little bit of give and take. Honestly, I think Parker may be right; he's not sleeping well which certainly isn't going to aid his recovery."

"He's getting more than what's normal for him." Hardison replied.

"Yeah, well, 90 minutes isn't going to cut it when you're body is trying to fight off pneumonia." With all of the emphasis placed on the head injury the pneumonia tended to be put on the back-burner; however, waking up to Eliot coughing at 3 o'clock in the morning didn't escape Nate's attention.

"So the solution is psychoanalyzing him?"

"Unless you have a better one?" Nate offered.

"Take him out to the mountains; give him the time away that he needs."

"I would; if we had that luxury, and if I didn't fear he may not come back."


	72. Chapter 72

**Okay, a little bit longer and some Parker!**

xxxxxx

Eliot had looked through the entire English selection, picking out a couple mystery novels that looked interesting before sitting down in the café across from Sophie with their orders.

"What did you find?" Sophie asked him.

"Grisham." He held up a book. "Oh, and you ever heard of Kathy Reichs?"

"I've heard of her." The grifter confirmed. "A forensic anthropologist; I tried reading some; too… icky."

"Icky?" Eliot questioned her use of adjectives; she tended to keep to a dignified vocabulary.

"Real icky." She confirmed.

Eliot shrugged; maybe he would like it after all.

"What else did you get?" She asked eying his bag.

"Nothin'"

"Are you honestly going to sit there and lie to a liar?"

Eliot smirked. "It's not for you; so, you care to tell me more about that? I mean, you were kinda vague back there in the car."

Sophie looked down at her teacup contemplating the request.

"I'm not gonna pry; if you don't want to say anything…" He backed off.

"No; it's okay, it's just, I'm not sure how to…"

"Darlin', you don't need a script, just be honest."

"See, that right there is the problem." She wagged her finger at him. "My father was an English Baron; historically on the lowest rung of the nobility pole but still carries an all access pass to social gatherings, and I was his little princess. I had my own personal shopper that would take me out and buy me whatever I wanted, on daddy's charge card, of course."

"Of course." Eliot nodded, getting a creepy feeling as she described it.

"Etiquette was everything; I was taught how to dress, how to speak, how to eat like a proper girl, and I excelled in it. At the age of five I was giving my coach pointers on how to make a proper entrance."

"Let me guess; the better equipped you were to impress the more attention daddy gave you?"

Sophie nodded slightly. "Life was one party after another, and I didn't realize it at the time but I was his little show horse; the dowry that was going to secure his social standing."

"Where was your ma?" Eliot asked her.

"She left when I was six. I was given the 'big girls don't cry' homily and a diamond and ruby studded tiara that I wore at that year's inaugural ball."

"Did he, um… hurt you?"

Sophie looked down at her teacup once again. "He didn't physically assault me."

Eliot closed his eyes fighting away his own mental picture and then whispered. "How old…?"

Sophie breathed through the admission having never said this much out loud. "I was eleven when he started to take notice."

"What… what did you…?"

"I did the same thing I was taught to do when my mom left, put on a smile and pretend it didn't bother me. I put on a performance of a lifetime; almost everyone bought it."

"Almost?" Eliot questioned.

"Everyone but Don; I never told him, but he knew. He tried to get me to run away when I was sixteen, but I wouldn't. I had convinced myself that I was all he had…"

"He didn't deserve…"

"It's taken a long time to realize that. I was eighteen when daddy got busted for tax invasion; I watched government take everything we owned. That was the first time I changed my identity; I left town and used everything I had learned about manipulating people to take what I wanted; what I felt entitled to."

"The birth of Sophie _Devereaux."_

"Metaphorically." Sophie specified. "Sophie came later."

"Where is he now?" Eliot asked with an ice cold glare that suggested his fate was sealed if the hitter ever ran into him.

"He hung himself in prison."

"Fuckin' coward." The hitter spit out before starting to cough.

"Eliot…" She reached out and touched his arm as he attempted to fight the choking sensation.

"Wrong…. Tube…" He panted eventually catching breath while cradling the shifting ribs.

"Right." She rolled her eyes. "Um… perhaps we should get back to the house?"

"Yeah; okay."

XXXXX

"I just want to make certain that my objections have been duly noted." Hardison explained. "Put there on the table; recorded if necessary… we can record this right?"

"Hardison, I get it!" Nate assured him. "You think it's a bad idea."

"Yeah, I think it's a bad idea; manipulation, neuro-languistic programming, whatever tricks she has up her sleeve it spells bad idea."

"What if it's not a trick, though?" Nate proposed. "What if she can get just as much out of this as Eliot can?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean; maybe he's not the only one hiding something. She knows better than to get to him by conning him. Her only alternative is…"

"By telling the truth." Hardison shook his head. "Oh, dude, you set that up on purpose!"

Nate half grinned and shrugged. "We're all in need of a little healing."

"Won't argue with that; sounds like the car is back." The hacker responded hearing the garage door open.

XXXXX

Parker was already outside when Sophie pulled into the driveway.

"You're back!" She flung herself at the hitter.

"Yeah." He rasped; he voice still hoarse from his earlier coughing fit. He looked over to Sophie for an explanation of Parker's sudden physical attachment. "Is that a surprise?"

"No." She awkwardly brushed herself off causing the hitter to shake his head in bewilderment. "Do you want to see what I've been up to?"

"Sure…" He responded still not entirely certain what to think, but followed her into the house anyway. She led him into a room where Jaidee had out an oil paint kit. Sitting on the easel was a portrait of an Asian woman lovingly cradling her pregnant belly. "Did you draw that?"

Parker silently nodded.

"That… that's amazing!"

"When she's finished painting she's going to put it in a frame to go into the nursery." Parker boasted. "It's going to be displayed just like real art; well, except without the tanuki security system, are you putting in a security system?"

"Parker, it is real art work." Eliot attempted to tell him as he rested his back against the door frame. "And on that subject I got ya somethin'."

"Me? What? Why?" Parker questioned.

Eliot pulled out a leather bound sketch pad and handed it over to her. "I figured you are probably going about stir crazy as I am, thought it may give you something to do rather than braid my hair while I'm asleep."

"How do you do that?" She questioned him causing Eliot to crack a smile. She wasn't sure how to put her response into words. "It's nice… thoughtful…"

"'m glad you like it."

"I don't suppose you'd let me do a portrait of you?"

"Ahh… it wouldn't require me to be naked or anything, would it?"

"Huh…" Parker thought about that possibility.

"No!" Eliot responded before a cough.

"That doesn't sound good." Jaidee jumped in.

"…Fine." Eliot said as his frame was hunched over.

"Ah huh…" Parker replied with wide eyes.

"Hey, what's going on?" Nate questioned hearing the hitter cough.

"Eliot is once again redefining the term 'fine' in order to suit his purposes." Parker responded.

"I see." Nate nodded. "Well, Eliot, before you re-fracture anymore ribs why don't you go lay down?"

"Fluid. Breakin' up." The hitter explained between gasps.

"I understand that. Go lay down." Nate ordered the man who reluctantly obeyed. Sophie came over brushing shoulders with the hitter on his way to the guest room. "How did it go?"

"I swear to God I just want to throttle that guy sometimes." Sophie shook her hands furiously. "I'm laying my heart out, and I think he's getting it, and then… he pulls this macho crap! My God! You're sick, okay? Get over it!"

"Laying your heart out?" Nate questioned her. "What did you tell him?"

"As if I don't know!" Sophie continued her rant. "Wrong tube? Yeah right!"


	73. Chapter 73

"Okay, deep breath." Donavan instructed the hitter holding the stethoscope to his back to gage the air supply to his lungs. Eliot inhaled as deeply as he could without jostling his ribs before exhaling through his nose. "One more time, a little deeper."

He did as the doctor requested hoping to disguise the wince that came with from the doctor sitting behind him.

"Now why don't you try that without the grimace?" Nate said standing in the doorway getting the full view of the front of the shirtless hitter as he studied the fading bruises to the midsection.

"Damnit Nate." Eliot grumbled as a silent discussion went on between the two older gentlemen between glances. Donavan removed the stethoscope and placed his hand over the hitter's ribcage.

"One more." The doctor insisted.

Eliot shook his head and eased a breath in as the doctor felt a rib shift slightly before exhaling it back into place.

"What's wrong?" Nate asked Donavan judging the look of discontent on his face.

"That should have healed more by now." He looked to Eliot for an explanation.

"I don't…" Eliot shrugged.

"How bad is the cough?"

"I don't know; 'sides killing a guy and doing the 5k in the tunnel this, today, was the most exercise I've gotten in a week." Eliot answered weakly. "T'was bound to break fluid up."

"So today was the worst of it?" Donavan prodded for clarification.

Eliot started to reply before Nate cut in. "Eliot, stop! Damnit! How many times do I have to go through this with you? Cut out the macho bullshit; nobody is buying it, and you aren't helping yourself out any? And you sure as hell aren't helping to build back any trust that was lost when you were hospitalized in the first place."

Eliot glared over at Nate, but knew he was right. "When I lay in the same position for too long I have some difficulty breathing, body reacts by coughing, I do that, switch position, and go back to sleep. There's nothing you can do about it, and it's nothing I can't handle."

"I wouldn't say that." Donavan responded and left to go check out his medicine cabinet. As he did, Nate came in to sit down.

"They're worried about you, you know that." He stated softly. "I've known that you've underplayed your injuries; I guess I just didn't realize how much. It shouldn't have surprised me to find out you can fake your way through a concussion exam, but I'm still reeling to come up with an answer of why? If you needed that time…"

"You're the one that said no breaks; no time off. We had to keep working to figure out how to get the goods on Moreau." Eliot turned it around.

"You're right, and I will accept responsibility for that one, but Eliot you didn't say it, you didn't say that you needed…. You didn't say why. Why?"

"My job is to protect you; all of you. I failed. I watched you get shot, and walked away. I told you all… all the way, and… I messed up, somewhere, I missed that gun…"

"You didn't mess up, that wasn't your mistake. Eliot, I was the one that was out of control; it was _my_ mess to clean up. Don't you dare think I want you flying in front of any bullets for me. That is not your job; your job was to do exactly what you did and make sure the rest of the crew is taken care of; including yourself."

Eliot hung his head down solemnly too tired to come up with a response.

"Am I interrupting?" Donavan came back.

The hitter nodded his head no. "What doya got?"

"Take one of these before bed; it'll help open the air passages." He handed Eliot a pill.

"Can I see the bottle?" He questioned not liking to take anything without knowing what it was first. Donavan handed it over to him. "Prednisone?"

"Yeah."

"Nuh uh; not taking it." He shoved the bottle back at the doctor.

"Now what medical treatment is he refusing?" Sophie asked as she, Hardison, and Parker peeked through the door after apparently listening on to earlier discussions.

"I'll lift the bed higher or add a pillow, but I ain't taking that."

"Is poor Eliot afraid of a wittle pill?" Hardison mocked him. Parker tried to hold back the giggle from the apparent ridicule.

"Seriously, Eliot, what could possibly be wrong with taking that?" Sophie questioned him.

"It's a steroid." He answered.

"So?" Nate questioned.

"So?" Eliot rebutted. "I don't do those things."

"I'm not asking you to 'do' them." Donavan responded. "For medicinal reason's…"

"No; that's not medicine, that's a drug. A drug that many of athletes get hammered for taking every year; I ain't…I ain't takin' it."

Parker snickered at the whole conversation.

"What's so funny, mama?"

"Eliot's afraid of shrinking his manly bits." She laughed.

"That's not funny. They also cause hair loss." He replied sheepishly as he raked his hand through his own mane.

"Whoa, man, so you tellin' me you'd rather deal with broken ribs and a chest clinching cough then the remote possibility of a losing a couple strands of hair, dude, seriously?"

"Eliot, the dose I'd be giving you would not affect…"

"You don't know that." Eliot shook his head.

"Eliot, take the damn pill." Nate ordered.

"No!" The hitter protested.

"He's incorrigible." Sophie shook her head in defeat and left to the kitchen to see if she could be any actual help.


	74. Chapter 74

_"_Is he sleeping?" Nate asked Sophie once she was tucked back under his arm on the living room couch set to watch a movie.

"Out like a light; never did take that pill, though." She confirmed.

"He's stubborn." Nate raised his eyebrows knowing that much was common knowledge.

"Most Cancer's are."

"You don't really buy that stuff, do you?" He asked skeptically.

"Why? Don't you?" She posed to him. "I mean you; you can't tell me you're not the textbook Virgo."

"I'm not even sure what that means."

"Virgo in a nutshell…" Hardison came into the living room with his lap top while Parker brought the popcorn. "'Virgo exists in the mind, everything is inside. To the world, Virgo presents a calm and collected exterior but on the inside, nervous uncontrolled intensity in the mind, trying to figure things out, how to improve everything, analyzing and thinking. Virgo can tire itself out without even moving! Virgo has a constant drive to improve and perfect, this can lead to extreme pickiness. They are pure, their motives are honest never malicious and they want to accomplish something.'"

"Sound like anyone you know?" Parker asked Hardison with a smile. Both Hardison and Sophie smiled back. . "Oh, do me!"

"Okay, Scorpio… 'Scorpio is the astrology sign of extremes and intensity. Scorpios are very deep, intense people, there is always more then meets the eye. They present a cool, detached and unemotional air to the world yet lying underneath is tremendous power, extreme strength, intense passion and a strong will and a persistent drive. Scorpios have a very penetrative mind, do not be surprised if they ask questions, they are trying to delve deeper and figure things out and survey the situation. They always want to know why, where and any other possible detail they can possibly know. Scorpio's are very weary of the games that other people try to play and they are very aware of it. Scorpios tend to dominate and control anyone that lets them, or anyone that they find weak. The person that a Scorpio respects and holds close to them is treated with amazing kindness, loyalty and generosity. On the outside, a Scorpio has great secretiveness and mystery. This magnetically draws people to them. They are known to be controlling and too ambitious but only because they need control for this makes them feel safe.'"

"I do not have control issues." Parker fired back. "Take it back!"

"I can't take it back, Parker, I'm reading it straight from the website." Hardison started to show her until he got scrolled down to the part where it talked about dating a Scorpio woman.

"Well, it's wrong, that should be on Nate's, Nate is the control freak."

"I think we already covered mine." Nate reminded her.

"What about yours?" Sophie questioned Hardison.

"Hang on…" Hardison responded as he cut and pasted the information to his text pad before clicking on the next sign. "'Aries is the first of the zodiac signs. Aries is the sign of the self, people born under this sign strongly project their personalities onto others and can be very self-oriented. Aries tend to venture out into the world and leave impressions on others that they are exciting, vibrant and talkative. Aries tend to live adventurous lives and like to be the center of attention, but rightly so since they are natural, confident leaders. Aries are enthusiastic about their goals and enjoy the thrill of the hunt; "wanting is always better then getting" is a good way to sum it up. Aries are very impulsive and usually do not think before they act - or speak. Too often Aries will say whatever pops into their head and usually end up regretting it later!' Ahh… see now, that ain't… okay, maybe a little accurate."

"What about yours?" Parker asked Sophie.

"Mine is the same as Eliot's." She responded

"Dude, there's like a whole novel written here about Cancer's." Hardison observed. "'Cancer is a mysterious sign, filled with contradictions. They want security and comfort yet seek new adventure. They are very helpful to others yet sometimes can be cranky and indifferent. Cancer has a driving, forceful personality that can be easily hidden beneath a calm, and cool exterior. The crab is Cancer's ruling animal and it suits them well, they can come out of their shell and fight but they can also hide in their shell of skitter away back into the depths of the ocean. They are very unpredictable. With cancer, there is always something more that meets the eye, for they are always partially hidden behind the shell.

'They are a have a deep psyche and intuitive mind that is hidden from the world. Cancer is deeply sensitive and easily hurt, this might be why they have their defense shell in place, to avoids being hurt by others. They are nurturers so they surround themselves with people, whom after a while can offend or hurt a cancer without even knowing they did so, therefore Cancer's protective shell keeps them safe from hurt. They are complex, fragile, unpredictable and temperamental and need constant support and encouragement, more then any other astrology signs Cancer needs to be needed.

'When cancer gets the support it needs, it has a tremendous amount to offer in return. When cancer gets offended, they tend to sulk instead of confronting the persons face to face. This needlessly prolongs the pain and suffering. Cancer is very possessive, not just with material possessions but with people as well. Cancer will always want to stay in touch with old friends and anyone who has ever been close to them, because it is easier to maintain a friendship then attempt to learn to trust a new person. It is easier this way for them emotionally. If you befriend a Cancer, you will stay friends for a long time.

'Cancer makes the perfect mother, this is the sign that represents motherhood. They have unconditional love and caring more so then any other astrology sign. Cancer's are very intuitive. Most of the psychics of the world are Cancer astrology signs. They have an excellent memory and are very observant and can read people very well. They can usually tell of other people's intentions are good or not. Never dupe a Cancer, they can see your motives. Cancer has a lot of emotional issues to deal with but once they overcome this large hump of shyness and insecurity, there is practically nothing they can't do. With their strong intuition, sensitivity, powers of observation and intelligence, they will have great success in anything they undertake.'"

"I hadn't realized how similar you and Eliot really were." Nate commented after listening to the description. He would never use words like 'sensitive' and 'nurturing' to describe Eliot to his face, but he had to agree. Sophie knew first hand how hard it was for Eliot to trust and how hurt he had gotten when betrayed.

"We may present it in different ways, but um… we're both hiding behind that shell." She admitted. "So, which movie?"

"Here's an idea…" Hardison presented. "'Zodiac'?"

"What's that?" Nate asked tentatively.

"Oh man, you'll like it, it's based off the Zodiac Killer murders."

"Really?" He looked intrigued.

"Whoa, no, I'm not watching horror." Sophie responded.

"It's not horror." Hardison informed her.

"It's based on serial killer, how is it not horror?"

Parker pressed a few keys into Hardison's computer. "No, he's right. It falls into the categories of crime, drama, history, mystery, and thriller. No horror."

"So there's no death or violence?"

"I didn't say that." Hardison objected. "I mean, it is a serial killer, but the emphasis is on figuring out the identity not on the actual crimes themselves… kind of like a 'From Hell' Jack the Ripper type of thing."

"I'm game." Nate insisted.

"Sure." Parker shrugged.

"I guess majority rules." Sophie conceded and then looked to Hardison. "But you have to warn me before there's any blood and guts."

"Scouts honor." Hardison held two fingers to his brow.

"That's three fingers." Nate corrected him.

"Right, I… I knew that." He corrected the salute. "Peace, and love, and honor, and all that other sh…tuff."

"Just play the movie." Nate requested.

Hardison hooked wires from his lap top to the entertainment system to display his downloaded copy to the screen.

"Want any?" Parker offered Sophie some popcorn. After a moments hesitation the grifter dug a handful into the bowl hand-feeding a couple to Nate as he sunk back allowing her to use his chest as a pillow. Parker sat in front of them throwing the popped cornels into the air and catching them in her mouth. "Do you think tomorrow we can go to the beach?"

"Parker!" Sophie and Nate responded in unison.

"What? It did kind of sound like fun." She responded innocently.

xxxxx

**Hope you enjoyed; sorry, there's not really any Eliot in this chapter, but I'm still digging into his personality. And for the sake of citing, all the personality profiles come from the site ; owners, please do not come after me for copyright infringement. Pretty please! **


	75. Chapter 75

**Hello; three posts in two days, I know, Christmas must be coming ;-) For those watching in the US, we get our two part season finale tonight, of course, I don't have cable so I don't get to watch it until it goes online, but ah… according to spoilers we get to learn a little more about Eliot with this; which of course means anything I have already thought up is probably useless, that's okay, it's my alternate reality so as long as you can go with it, so can I. Enjoy the story now and the finale tonight! **

xxxxxx

Eliot was surprised when he woke up to the sun shining through his window and no teammates coming in asking him if they could get him anything. Taking in the peace of that moment he grudgingly pushed himself up to allow for easier breath and made his way over to the dresser to slip on some clean clothes prior to making his way out to the kitchen and pouring himself an already brewed mug of coffee.

"Whatcha making?" Eliot asked Jaidee.

"I thought I'd try some good ol' fashion American pancakes." She reported with a grin while stirring the batter.

"Want any help with that?" He offered her.

"Interesting." She reported causing him to question. "Seems like you're alright in offering help, just not so much with the receiving. I can handle this part, if you would like to chop the melon over there, and then assist with the flipping."

"Easy enough." Eliot reached over to grab a knife for the fruit. "Believe it or not; I do lean on them more than they think I do."

"Oh, I believe it, but would it hurt to maybe tell them that?"

"It could." He smirked. "I appreciate everything you've been doing for Parker."

"She's a special girl."

"Yeah; yeah, she really is."

"She looks up to you; in a certified hero worship kind of way. I don't know if anyone would have been able to get through to her if you hadn't woken up."

"That's the problem." Eliot responded. "We've all become dependent on each other. We always worked alone… for various reason, but Nate took these lone wolves and turned us into pack dependent on each other to survive…"

"That's not always a bad thing." Jaidee insisted.

"What we do is dangerous, and that's not about to stop; alone, collectively, we're all addicted to it, and some day that's going to catch up to us, it's bound to…"

"And thus comes the question of who sacrifices themselves for the pack."

"Nate thinks it should be him; the others… well, they are satisfied to live in denial that where that day will never come. Not that Sophie hasn't thought about it, but…"

"I don't think anyone really wants to go there. What makes you think it needs to be you?"

Eliot stood in silence cutting chunks from the fruit.

"Eliot?" She asked again.

"Penance." He responded softly. "'M not sure if you've heard; I'm the bad guy."

"According to what I've been told, you all…"

"No." Eliot shook his head. "I wasn't thrust into it by misfortunate circumstances; I… I chose the lifestyle; I could have had better. It was right there staring at me; all I had to do was grab on and embrace it."

"Why didn't you?" Parker asked coming in to the tail end of the conversation.

"Where did you come from?" He asked her after spinning around.

"Living room." She pointed back. "We kind of had a slumber party in there watching movies."

"Sorry I missed it." Eliot responded.

"That better life, it was with Aimee, right?" She asked. The hitter nodded slightly. "Why didn't you take it?"

"I needed a sense of adventure; it was something I couldn't get at the ranch, I tried… I really tried… I loved her; I always will.."

"Filled with contradictions." Parker nodded her head assuredly.

"Huh?"

"It's just because you're a crab." She told him.

"I'm a what?" He asked a little less patiently.

"Oh, it's not a bad thing, although typically when you think of cancer it is, but in this case apparently it just means that you're caring and protective only you cover that with a shell because of fear of getting hurt. Although, I don't know why because you can kick anyone's ass that crosses you…"

"Okay, we're not talking about this." Eliot stopped her as he realized that what she was going on about was his astrological sign associated with his birthday.

"It was really interesting. After Hardison fell asleep I was reading more and apparently cancer's have a tendency to dwell on past events. Is that why…?"

"Parker!" He warned her.

"Hey; you can't blame me. According to my stars I supposed to ask questions. I don't see what the big deal is anyway; the rest of us all got our reading. Did you know that you and Sophie were the same sign? It actually made a lot of sense, too, I mean Sophie is our mother figure, and you… you do the cooking for us. I think you would be a good mother, too, of course, if you were girl…"

"Enough!" Eliot screamed out as the knife in his hand penetrated through the fruit and dug into the cutting board. He looked down for a brief moment attempting to gain composure before darting out.


	76. Chapter 76

"What the hey-all is goin' on in here?" Hardison asked hearing the back door slam shut. Sophie and Nate quickly followed suit.

"I, ah, I don't know." Parker replied still stunned, and just a tad afraid, by the outburst

"It's okay, Parker, just tell us what happened." Nate requested calmly as he made his way over to the hostess to check to see if she was okay, who quickly shrugged it off; however, gladly took the cup of herbal tea that Hardison had poured for her.

"I came in and Eliot was talking to Jaidee about how he could have had a life with Aimee and didn't take it so I asked him a couple questions. He was fine, and then… I don't know; I don't even know what I said. I didn't mean…"

"We know, honey." Sophie caressed her shoulder in encouragement. "It's not your fault. Whatever was said triggered something, and he hasn't exactly been upfront about what those triggers are."

"It's not like I mentioned his birthday." Parker replied.

"Are you sure about that?" Hardison questioned. He didn't mean it as an accusation, but Parker had a way of saying something without fully grasping societies interpretation of what was said.

"No; his birthday wasn't mentioned at all."

"Honey, maybe we should sit down and go through what was actually said."

"Am I in trouble?" She asked the grifter.

"No, sweetie, you're not in trouble." She ushered the girl out of the kitchen.

"So, um… somebody has to go talk to Eliot." Hardison said staring at the leader who pulled the knife out of the cutting board.

"Ah huh." Nate responded.

"And…. I, ah, assume this is the part where he would normally go and hit something."

"Probably; yeah." Nate responded again still examining the blade.

"Dude, you ain't gonna make me…"

"Relax, Hardison, I got this." Nate smiled.

"Coo'… coo', if you think that's best." The hacker slowly backed up.

"Would you at least assist with making breakfast?" Nate requested of Hardison.

"Sure; of course, anything need to be micro-waved?"

Nate sunk his head and made his way outside; knowing there weren't many options for the hitter to go he followed him out to the garden.

"I _don't_ want to talk about it." Eliot said as he heard the footsteps coming closer. His head was bowed down attempting to calm his nerves creating visible shaking.

"About what? What was said or what wasn't?" Nate questioned.

"None of it."

Nate understood. "Well, whatever was or wasn't said, you know that Parker didn't intend any harm?"

"Yeah." The hitter responded somberly. "I know, and I didn't mean to go off like that. I just… I don't feel like myself."

"According to the books I've been reading in Donavan's library that's pretty normal." Nate assured him.

"Learned helplessness." Eliot replied and looked up at Nate whose face indicated he required more of an explanation. "Some researcher did a study using three dogs. Put 'em in a box and shocked two of 'em. One of the pups was able to control the zap by pressing a lever; the other's was controlled by the first. The third was a control that didn't get shocked at all. They were then put into a box with a partition fence that had a shock on one side. The first and third immediately jumped over to avoid the zap, while the other just laid down and took it… could have gotten up and jumped over, but just sat there… became the model for depression."

"Eliot, you're not some dog in a box." Nate looked back at him intently knowing that the lack of control the hitter was feeling right now was eating away at him.

"I…I know; my brain is messed up, and serotonin levels are off. I'm sure if I said something to the doc about it I could get a prescription of wellbutrin or somethin', but the way see it, the less pills the better."

"You seem to know a lot about this."

Eliot shrugged. "Yeah, well, you don't see me drowning at the bottle of a bottle."

Nate snickered at the apparent jab. "So, ah… what does help? Besides beating the crap out of something."

"Doubt I medical clearance for that." He watched the mastermind shake his head no. "Best way I know how to let my mind clear is by going out for a drive."

"Best?" Nate questioned.

"Second best." Eliot conceded.

The mastermind took a deep breath afraid he may regret his next words especially when Sophie caught wind of them. "Honestly, are you up for that?"

"Dull ache, but…"

"No dizziness, no double vision…?"

"No." The hitter assured him.

"How long do you need?"

"Couple hours."

Nate dug into his pocket and grabbed onto the van keys holding them in front of the hitter, but clutching on as soon as Eliot went to grab them. "Two hours; at that time you either be back or you call me. If you don't, I _will _have Hardison hack into the GPS and track your ass down."

"Understood." He replied as Nate let the keys drop into his open palm. "Thank you."

"Don't make me regret this." Nate warned him.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Eliot smiled.

XXXXX

"Okay, so you walked into the room and overheard Eliot talking about Aimee or a life with her, or…" Sophie recapped what Parker had already told them.

"He said that out of all of us he was the bad guy because he wasn't pushed into the lifestyle by an unfortunate circumstances, he could have had better but he chose not to, and when I asked why he said that it was because he needed adventure; as much as he loved and always will love Aimee he couldn't be that person to settle. At least that was the gist of it."

"At that point how was his mood?"

"Fine." Parker shrugged.

"What happened next?"

"I told him that based on his personality the contradiction made sense, and he seemed a little confused, and he didn't seem all that happy with me calling him a crab either; which is confusing because I call him grumpy all the time, and although he growls a lot he's never yelled like that."

"You called him a crab?" Sophie questioned.

Parker nodded.

"Like we were taking about last night?" The grifter prodded.

The thief nodded again. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Was Eliot aware that you were talking about the zodiac sign?"

"I'm pretty sure I was clear about that."

"Oh." Sophie responded. "Um… Parker, you know how those signs are assigned, right?"

"Sure; you said it was… oh." Parker caught on. "Oh! I didn't even think about that. He asked me to change subjects, and I just kept going on about what I read about that personality."

"What was the last thing you said before he, um…"

"Snapped?" Parker finished for her as Sophie paused to come up with an adjective. "I told him that we all had our readings done and you and his were the same; and there were similarities in the ways that both of you nurtured the rest of us."

"You said it just like that?"

"No; I think I said something about him making a good mother if he was a girl… then he blew the fuse."

"That was it?" Sophie questioned trying to find some meaning behind what was said and how he reacted.

"Yep." Parker responded. "And they say women are complicated. Hardison calls his hair girly all the time and he's never gone off like _that_, and you know how he is about his hair."

"I don't think it has anything to do with the suggestion he was or could be a girl…" Sophie thought about it.

"Then what…?" Parker started to ask before Hardison came in to announce breakfast.


	77. Chapter 77

"Are you out of your mind? What in God's name do you think you were doing?" Sophie screamed at Nate. "My God, when Donavan gets back it's your head that I'm having checked out!"  
"Sophie! Sophie, sit down and I'll explain." Nate attempted to calm her after informing the girls of Eliot's absence at the breakfast table.

"Oh, please do; explain away." Sophie stated sarcastically as she sat down. "I swear to God, though, if you utter the words 'he said he could do this' I can't be held responsible for my actions!"

"Wanna use my taser?" Parker whispered to her.

"We'll talk." Sophie nodded.

"Dude, seriously? What is it about him that he can get you to go along with anything…" Hardison began to ask regretting not being the one to go out and talk to the hitter.

"Did you even consider the fact that he's recovering from a concussion?" Parker asked him.

"Of course I did! And I asked him point blank…"

"Asked him?" Sophie interrupted. "Nate, I think we can all agree that Eliot hasn't shown any one of us that he can be trusted to report on his own behalf. What could have possibly possessed you to hand over those keys?"

"Please." Nate shook his head. "As if any one of you needs a set of keys to drive off to God knows where."

"He does have a point there." Parker responded with a shrug.

"I could have emptied the gas tank if you needed me to." Hardison came up with a solution. "Or messed with the computer chip; that's easy enough to hack into; albeit, a little harder to repair afterwards."

"Trap him? That's your grand plan? It was nice meeting all of you, really." Nate responded with a wave. "He's not a kid! We can't just take away his favorite toy and ground him to the corner."

"Why not? He's acting like one!" Sophie argued. "That outburst…"

"Was very unlike Eliot Spencer." The mastermind finished. "How many of you can say you knew him before he became a member of this team?"

"I'm not so sure I can say I know him now." Hardison replied honestly.

"When Dubenich first showed me that file; 'the crew' he put together to steal Pierson's plans, I could have sworn he was lying to me. There was _no way_ Eliot Spencer was going to be part of a team; he _always_ worked alone. Without a doubt he was the most physically dangerous person I've ever had the pleasure of tracking. I got close, once, to catching him. Too close. If it would have been anyone else I would have probably had my neck snapped or bullet in the chest, but um… he hit a pressure point and after a short nap I walked away without a hint of a headache. He may have been cold and detached, but always in control."

"What are you saying?" Hardison asked him.

"I'm saying that he's losing that. It's no secret that since this team has formed he's feeling things that he had locked away for a good long while, but now his brain is fucked up, and old memories are crushing him down. If he can't grab onto some semblance of control it's going to eat away at him, and the result is going to be him coming out swinging and injuring one of us or finally caving to the pressure." Nate explained with the image of the poor dog lying in the corner of a crate.

"He, um… told me once that he didn't seek control of his environment, what he had to control was here." Sophie touched her heart much like Eliot had indicated to her. "Always."

"He said that what he needed was to get out and let his mind clear. I asked him about his symptoms, and I made sure that he knew that if there was no contact by the time he said he'd be back I'd send out the dogs to come and get him."

"We're dogs now? Thanks, man."

"Well, you know what I mean." Nate nodded at the hacker. "He has two hours… or 1 hours, 38 minutes precisely."

"So we let him do what he's always done and push everything back?" Sophie questioned. "What's going to stop him from reverting back to Mr. Cold and Detached?"

"We let Nate deal with things his own way; we let you take off the time you needed." Parker posed.

"Yeah, but in no way did doing so solve anything." Sophie replied.

"I seriously doubt a two hour drive is gonna cause a complete personality shift." Hardison argued.

"I agree." Nate added. "We let him cool down; and then like you said… gently persuade him into slowly opening up. Just keep in mind that he's more fragile right now then he would ever admit to being."

"You know what he needs?" Parker questioned with wide eyes. "He needs a bunny rabbit."

"A bu.. a bunny?" Hardison asked her. "How…? How exactly does your mind work?"

"Nobody can stay upset around a bunny; the way they twitch their nose, and hop about… and they cuddle, they do… they… what? Why is everyone staring?"

"May I?" Hardison looked over at Nate who nodded. "There's something wrong with you."

"Only the right kind." Parker smiled.

XXXXX

**Merry Christmas!**


	78. Chapter 78

When Eliot started driving he had no intended destination; he figured he could get himself lost and then use the GPS to find his way back. However, as he drove he felt a pull to the coastline. Eliot turned the radio up, not entirely sure what he was listening to but attempting, in some way, to drown out Parker's voice inside his head explaining an astrological connection to water. _'This is nuts'_ he thought to himself as the van sat idling on an abandoned beach. He couldn't deny, though, that there was something soothing, something hypnotizing, about watching the way the current attacked the shoreline. He pulled it into park before stepping out into the sun and taking a seat on the sandy surface. Every sense was evoked as he stared out and yet he sat in peace as thoughts ceased. In that time it didn't matter what he was doing or going, thinking or feeling; he could just be.

"Sir…"

"Huh?" He asked turning his attention to a little girl, who appeared no older than six, standing beside him.

"You're American, right?" She asked; to which the hitter nodded. "Me too; I'm from Milwaukee, where are you from?"

"I'm…" Eliot had to think; he had traveled so many times before hitting grade school that he tended to have a hard time answering that. "Um… Kentucky, where… are your parents around?"

"My mom and brother are over there." She pointed out to the distance spotting a little boy shoveling around sand presumably into a sand castle upon finish.

"You should probably go back over there before they start to worry." Eliot advised her.

"Is this yours?" She held out a wallet. He hadn't noticed it slip out of his pocket.

"Yeah; thank you, darlin'." He shifted through it.

"Who's that?" She asked studying a warn picture with a younger Eliot holding a little blonde boy about two-year-old.

"Um…"

"Is that your kid? He looks like you…"

"Ah…"

"Tracy!" The mother yelled from the distance.

"Darlin, I appreciate you finding this, but I wouldn't want you worrying your mama any longer."

"You look sad."

"I'm…."

"Tracy!" The mother yelled again.

"Wanna know what would make me happy?" Eliot asked her inviting an enthusiastic head nod. "Go give your mama the biggest hug ever."

"Really?" She questioned him. Eliot smiled slightly and nodded watching as the little girl ran towards her mother with her arms stretched out. After being picked up to be carried back to the boy who sat unfazed playing in the sand, Tracy turned back to wave to the stranger she delivered his wallet to.

Eliot wiped away the tear that was falling down his cheek and reopened the wallet. "I'm so sorry." He whispered before taking a deep breath and standing up to head back to the van. Nate wasn't kidding when he gave the time limit, and he knew he was on a short leash when it came to the trust of his teammates.

XXXXX

Parker laid on her bed with the sketch pad in front of her.

"What's that?" Hardison asked her.

"It's nothing." She replied folding the cover over to hide the drawing.

"Parker, is that your stuffed…?"

She nodded and showed him the sketch. "It's my bunny; the oldest friend I have. I don't even remember when I got him, but every house I went to he came with."

"Where is he now?" Hardison asked.

"The warehouse." She answered; he noticed that she never called the place she stayed as her home. It was always just another dwelling. The closest thing she felt to a home was Nate's apartment; it was there that they gathered to just be a family. "Unless Interpol decided to ransack the place; not that they would find anything there except a couple harnesses."

"Whatever information Interpol had on us in its system has now been erased." Hardison assured her. "I'm sure your bunny is just fine."

"Doesn't matter." She shrugged.

"Of course it matters, Parker. That bunny got you through…"

"Yeah, it did. He got me through… a lot. With him I didn't feel so alone; but I don't need that anymore. I have the best family in the world." She smiled.

"The best; how do you figure that?"

"How could we not be? We comprise of the best grifter, the best hitter, the best hacker, the best thief, and the best Nate this world has ever seen."

He liked her logic. "I guess I can't argue with that."

"I just wish Eliot would tell us what was wrong so we could fix it."

"I don't think it's that easy, mama. I mean, we couldn't fix what happened to your brother." Hardison explained.

"I hate that it came out the way it did." Parker responded; part of her still wished physical pain on Dalton Rand. "But I'm not sorry you guys know; I don't know how it helped, but it did."

"Maybe all you needed was to hear it wasn't your fault by someone you trusted." Hardison pondered.

"Maybe." She replied. "Do you really think Eliot would have killed Rand if I asked him to?"

Hardison shook his head no. "It's not that he doesn't have it in him to kill someone that hurt you; I'm positive he would do that, but he wouldn't want you feeling like you were responsible for the death of another human being regardless of how miserable of one he is."

"He protects us." She reiterated.

"Do you ever wonder if he's protecting us against him? Like if we knew what he's done we'd never be able to see him the same way…"

"It wouldn't matter." Parker responded matter of factly. "I don't care who he was or what he's done. We know who he is now; that is what's important."

The hacker nodded in agreement. "How do you tell him that?"

"A bunny rabbit."

Hardison laughed at the reply. "I don't know if Eliot would respond to a stuffed rabbit the same way you did…"

"Who said stuffed?" She questioned getting up.

"Wait… are you talking a real…? Who would take care of it while…? Damn girl, where are you going?"

"It's time." She looked down at her wrist at the time Nate had indicated Eliot would be returning.


	79. Chapter 79

When Eliot pulled into to the driveway Nate and Sophie were already standing in wait for his arrival.

"I hope I didn't get you in too much trouble." Eliot responded and threw Nate the key.

"Not too much." Nate smiled. "I do appreciate your promptness, though; there was threat of a taser being used. Did you get what you needed?"

The hitter nodded. "Yeah; I think so. Can I talk to Parker?"

Sophie pointed to the girl standing just inside the door. "You'd have to ask her, but I somehow don't see that being much of a problem."

The hitter followed the prompt indoors to be greeted by a weary thief who followed his lead into the living room.

"I'm sorry…" She started.

"Don't be." He interrupted her. "You did nothing wrong; I am the one that completely overreacted and I owe you the apology."

"No, you don't, or you shouldn't. I don't require one; not from you, not… ever."

"That's sweet, but I saw the look in your eye when the blade slammed down. Parker, I don't want you ever thinking that I could hurt you."

"I don't." She insisted. "What you saw wasn't fear for my physical safety. Eliot, I know you could never hurt me. Whatever control you think you're losing, you're not capable…"

"Darlin', you have no idea what I'm capable of." He stated gently. It wasn't a warning or a threat.

Parker chuckled. "You think I don't know that you've killed? I'm not as naïve as you think I am…"

"I never meant to insinuate…"

"Shh!" She cut him off. "You're not the only one here with a past. I know that you think I've been broken, and because of that you feel some sort of responsibility to protect me physically _and_ emotionally. That's fine; it feels good having someone watch my back like that, but I have been taking care of myself for a long time."

"What can I say? I'm a Cancer, I need to be needed."

Parker's eyes widened as he gave her that much of himself. "If you would just listen maybe you would hear us when we told you that you _are_ needed; not just for the role you think you are. I wish you could trust…"

"I do trust you." Eliot admitted which startled the young thief; besides their first meeting when he told Nate he trusted him for being 'an honest man' she couldn't recall Eliot stating trusting anyone. "You look shocked?"

"I've never heard you say that, and I'm not sure I deserve it. Eliot, I've _hurt_ you."

"You made a couple mistake; we all do."

"Your mistakes don't get other people hurt." Parker argued.

The hitter looked away with that one. "You have no idea how wrong you are there, doll."

The thief simply nodded resisting the urge to ask for an explanation. "You trust me?"

"Do you know what I realized while I was out?" He asked her grateful that she hadn't pressed. "You've never pick-pocketed me."

"When I said that I was trying to keep Hardison out of trouble."

"I know, but I also know it's a reflex for you; so I have to wonder why?"

"You said that you don't con your own team." She explained. "I've seen you beat up before, but never as hurt as you were when you found out that Sophie conned us. She tried to explain it by saying that we're all thieves, but um… I get it. For us to work together we need to know that Sophie's not going to con us, Hardison won't hack into our personal lives, you're not going to hit anyone, and me… I'm not going to pick your pocket or break into your safe."

"Or crawl through the vents and invade our space?"

"Well, that I can't guarantee, but I do promise not to steal anything… at least not without permission."

"Parker, it's not stealing if you have permission." Eliot reminded her.

"Oh yeah, huh."

"Yeah." He rolled his eyes. "So… we, ah, good?"

"Always were on my end, Sparky, but if you really feel the need to make it up to me I think I could come up with something." She grinned.

"How painful are we talking about?" He asked her.

"Stay here; I just need to grab a couple things." Parker told him.

"Why do I have a feeling I'm going to regret this?" Eliot asked himself still seated on the couch while Parker wandered off in pursuit of something.


	80. Chapter 80

"Okay, Parker, what is so important we had to stop everything we were doing to meet?" Sophie asked the thief who had gathered everyone in the household into the living room. The only one missing was Donavan who had taken the morning to get caught up at his office.

"What were you two doing?" Hardison asked Sophie and Nate.

They both shared a glance before replying simultaneously. "Talking."

"Right." Eliot rolled his eyes before grabbing at a leaf in the grifter's hair. "Hey, Soph, what's this?"

"Um… it must have dropped… you know… gravity. Parker, what did you need?"

Eliot caught eyes with Nate and smiled.

"I thought we should all do something together." Parker explained before pulling out a box that she had found in the hallway closet.

"Yahtzee?" Hardison asked her.

"You know, I'm feeling a little tired, maybe I should go lay down." Eliot went to stand up.

"You're the one that said you owed me."

"Oh no, you go ahead." Sophie responded to the hitter. "We wouldn't want you overexerting yourself. It really doesn't surprise me; I mean, we were all saying how soon it was to be driving around like that."

"Are you kidding?" He replied to the obvious play. "Fine, I'm in, but I don't suppose there's any left-overs around here?"

"I saved you a plate in the kitchen." Jaidee pointed in the direction smiling at the dynamic of the group.

"Yahtzee?" Nate then questioned Parker. "You couldn't find anything that had just a tad bit of strategy involved in it?"

"There's strategy." Parker argued to which Nate's eyes widened in question. "A little bit."

"Who starts?" Eliot asked once seated around the coffee table.

"Are you sure you're up for it?"

"I think I can handle throwing around a few dice, Sophie." He responded faking irritation.

"Oh good." Parker handed each one a dye to shoot for the high number to start. Each threw one, and it started with Parker who rolled a six. In her next three roles she was able to start off the game on a good note with a large straight before passing the dice over to Nate.

In Nate's first role he managed to get three fours and two twos, as he went to pick up the twos Hardison stopped him.

"Dude, what do you think you're doing? That's a full house, and not just any full house, that's a granny full house! Not taking that is like flippin' off the Yahtzee God's, you won't get nothin' from here on out."

"A granny full house?" Nate questioned first; he wasn't even going to tackle the Yahtzee God remark.

"My granny claims that in order to count a full house it has to be achieved in one role." Hardison explained. "Nana and I have tried to get her to point that out in the rule book, but she stubbornly tells us that it's in there somewhere and she doesn't need to prove it."

"Be that as it might; I thought the purpose of the game was to go for the yahtzee." Nate replied and threw the dice down achieving two ones making it another full house.

"Man, I'm tellin' ya." Hardison warned him to take the second chance at it, and shook his head as Nate picked up the dice again to role a five and three before putting down the twelve on his fours.

"You play this with your granny?" Parker asked him as Sophie took her turn.

"Well, yeah, this or Scrabble, Sorry, Aggravation, Rummy, Kings in the Corner; pretty much anything."

"You never got that, did you?" Eliot questioned the look of envy in her eyes. As the question came out he realized that was exactly what this was about and put an arm around her shoulder.

"I hadn't." She whispered emphasizing the past tense causing the hitter to sigh as he kissed her forehead.

Sophie looked down at the four sixes and five that she had obtained on her last role. "Is there any rule about taking four of a kind before my sixes?" She asked Hardison not wanting to piss off any board game God's.

"No; no… I'd… damn good four of a kind."

Hardison and Jaidee both got to play before Eliot got his first turn rolling three ones off the bat.

"Ones? Ouch." Hardison replied, knowing that they weren't typically the thing you wanted to start with. Eliot shrugged before rolling again and getting another one. He picked up the last dye and started shaking before letting Parker blow into his hand and rolling the Yahtzee.

"Thank you, darlin'." He smiled towards the thief. "Maybe this ain't so bad after all."

"I know this isn't the type of thing you would typically play." She told him.

"Yeah, well, flag football and field hockey is kind of off the table." Nate responded while Parker took her turn.

"For a good long while." Donavan came in and sat behind Jaidee giving her a gentle shoulder rub. "Did I miss anything good?"

Eliot glanced over at Nate with a look that read 'can we let it go?'

"No." Nate answered for the group. "Actually I think we can start looking at getting out of here. No need to disrupt your life more than we have to."

"We've enjoyed the company." Jaidee insisted.

"We have." Donavan agreed. "But I'm sure you're looking forward to sleeping in your own beds."

"Well…" Sophie looked over at Nate. "He's right. I can't tell how much we appreciate this, but it was always meant to be temporary. Of course I'm not leaving until we throw you a baby shower."

Parker jotting her score down before passing the dice to Nate.

"Have fun with that. Any clue what we want to do while that's happening?" Eliot questioned the guys.

"Oh no. _We_ are going to throw this." Sophie clarified; bringing them all into it.

"Oh, I'm fairly certain traditionally this is an all female event." Hardison responded.

"Since when did we do anything according to tradition?" Parker countered.

"Since…" Hardison attempted a comeback. "Dude, I told you." He spied Nate's final role.

"There is no such thing as the God of Yahtzee." Nate objected looking down at a role of a one, two twos, a four and a five.

"You just keep telling yourself that." Hardison stated.

"It's a game of chance!"

"Ah huh." Hardison nodded patronizingly at the mastermind.

"Can I take my turn now?" Sophie asked. Nate conceded on the one point and pushed the dice over to his right.

"What exactly is involved in a baby shower?" Eliot asked confused.

"You mean you've never…?" Sophie asked him.

"No." He shook his head. "That… that's a girl thing."

"Some would say cooking and growing your hair out long could also be considered…" Parker started.

"Do not finish that statement." Eliot warned her. "Besides; plenty of master chefs are male."

"Granted." Hardison responded. "Although most of them don't look like Natalie Wood."

"Oh, you're asking for it now!" Eliot objected before considering the statement and brushing his hand through his hair. "Really? Natalie Wood?"

"I'm impressed the both of you know who she is." Sophie commented.

"Sure." Eliot responded not willing to own up to watching 'West Side Story'. "'Rebel Without a Cause'."

"James Dean… of course."

Parker smiled as the banter continued throughout the game which ended with Eliot just barely topping Parker's score and Nate finishing in last. After which Parker pressed for another game that Donavan and Jaidee, and Nate and Sophie opted out of leaving Parker, Eliot, and Hardison behind playing a round of Aggravation.

xxxxx

**Hope you enjoyed the fluff. I am glad people have been enjoying the bunny stuff; I have not abandoned that. To me, it just seems more like Parker to go more that route than a typical cat or dog. I am also thrilled that people are enjoying the original characters which can sometimes be hard to do when there's already so many awesome characters that we know and love; the OCs aren't meant to get in the way of that. It shouldn't be too much longer until we find out what Eliot is keeping; of course that may just be the finale to the story… which means I need to come up with another one. I have been thinking about a Bones/Leverage crossover, but we'll see. Happy New Years!**


	81. Chapter 81

**Caution: season three spoilers, but not much that hasn't already been brought up. It's more explanatory of when in the season it is and where the alternate chain went off from. Oh, and I put it about 4-5 months earlier than it was aired being in March in the story and August when shown on television. **

xxxxx

"How did I get roped into shopping for baby supplies?" Eliot questioned Sophie.

"You said you wanted to get out of the house." She reminded him.

"I suppose I did." He conceded. "Thanks for letting me drive, by the way."

"You proved the other day that you could. I know I gave both you and Nate a hard time about that; I may still have some trust issues to work out."

"Don't we all?" He muttered walking down the aisle of baby carriers and strollers. "You never got the opportunity to yell at me after finding me unconscious in my loft."

"Are you saying this is my chance?" She inquired.

"I don't know what I'm saying. I want things to go back to normal, but I don't expect them to. I can try to explain, but it's just going to sound like…"

"Like what? Like an excuse for reverting to the way you've always done things before?" Sophie stopped them mid-aisle to ask.

"If you mean blocking people out and tending to my own injuries, then yeah; we had a good string of some brutal jobs, and sure, I knew… I had a low grade fever coming back from Juarez."

"I figured as much." Sophie responded. "Granted, you tend to be moody on a good day, but um… piñata decapitation? I wanted to say something, but I guess I just hoped you would if it got to be too much."

"I tried saying something that day…"

"You didn't want the rest of us thinking you were susceptible. I get that, but when…?"

"When did it get out of control?" Eliot interrupted. "The cough started after the freezing cold dip in the river. That's when I knew it was getting bad, and I had a concussion on top of it. I almost called out of our last job."

"Why didn't you?"

"I had to protect the team." He insisted.

"Eliot…"

"I didn't want Parker thinking it was her fault. It wasn't! I wasn't feeling well before that. I thought if I could handle doing just one more she wouldn't suspect that it was from that."

"Apparently your system had different ideas."

"Apparently. Sophie, please don't tell her." He begged. "I did it! I was the one that miscalculated."

"I won't say anything, but I guess I have to wonder if you knew you were pushing yourself too far, and you didn't want the rest of us blaming ourselves for hurting you, then why on Earth would you agree to surrender yourself to Sterling for us?"

"I thought we already went over that?" He smirked.

"Right… better you sacrificing yourself then letting one of us take the heat."

"Like I said, I can try to explain. I can tell you what I was thinking, but I don't know how much it's gonna change anything. Look, I can promise to be more honest about how I'm feeling, and when I need more time to recover. I can work on letting you and Nate help when I could use an extra hand, but I refuse to let any of you take a hit if there is anything I can do to prevent it."

"I'm willing to start there." Sophie told him. "So… me and Nate, does that mean with Parker and Hardison…?"

"I'm hoping to regain _some_ perception of Wolverine status." The hitter admitted.

Sophie shook her head as she laughed; somehow she didn't doubt it. At the very least Parker would always see him as her hero.

"What about this?" Eliot pointed out something on the shelf.

"What is it?" Sophie asked him looking at something that appeared to be a scarf.

"It's a carrier; depending on how you wrap it, you can hold the baby in the front or back. They're secure and comfortable for the child." He explained causing a look of confusion on the grifter. "What?"

"How do you know…? Let me guess, dated a mom?"

"Sure." He shrugged. "Did you want my opinion or not?"

"No, no, by all means. Tell you the truth this is so not my territory." Sophie admitted. "I was thinking little baby booties, but without knowing if it's a girl or a boy it's hard to know what to shop for."

"You and your shoes." He rolled his eyes. "Off the bat she's going to need a basinet and infant car seat; for clothes it's always safe to go with onesies. As far as toys, something visually and auditory stimulating like a mobile."

"Bottles?"

"It depends on whether or not she's planning on breast feeding, but yeah, that, maybe a pump. A nook would probably be a good idea."

Sophie's eyes widened as he pointed stuff out. "Am I allowed to question how you know all this?"

"No." He responded before heading towards to check out lane.


	82. Chapter 82

"You guys, they're coming." Parker warned as the car came up the driveway. "Hide."

"Parker, it's not a surprise party, they know what we're doing." Nate reminded her as Hardison and Sophie hung up the last of the decorations and Eliot took the appetizers out of the oven.

"I knew that." She replied sheepishly.

"Did you get all the presents wrapped?" Sophie asked her.

"Yep; I even got it a gift of my very own. Something to remember Auntie Parker by fondly."

"Do I even want to know?" Eliot pondered.

"You'll see." She smiled.

"Please tell me it's not an infant lock picking set." Hardison mused.

"How did you know?"

"Parker!" The rest of the group yelled at her.

"It has to learn sometime; besides its more of a safe that you have to turn just right to open and then inside is a key set but it's bigger so it can't swallow any tiny parts."

Sophie eyed Nate who shook his head in bewilderment. "I suppose never too young to work on dexterity?" She countered.

"We really need to get out of here." Nate commented on the influence his team could have on an innocent child.

"Yeah; we do." Eliot concurred.

"I suppose then I shouldn't say anything about the 'baby's first computer' I got for the tyke." Hardison interjected. "It has three different languages on that thing, and once the kid has e-mail down…"

"You're gonna teach it to hack into government facilities?" Eliot responded offended and annoyed.

"No; not right away." Hardison hung his head down and then muttered. "That knowledge has come in handy more than once."

"You and Sophie are using protection, right?" Eliot whispered to Nate suddenly frightened to bring any child into that circle.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? That's the story you're sticking to?"

"Wow; this is fantastic!" Jaidee said as she came through the kitchen door.

_'Oh, don't thank us yet.' _Eliot muttered. "Here, have some stuffed mushrooms."

Both Donavan and Jaidee grabbed for one. "Hmmm, is that…?" Jaidee questioned.

"Lemon juice." The rest of them responded.

"I just squeeze a little on top." Eliot explained.

"Well, it tastes great." Donavan commented and looked around at the spread. "I was told you were a good cook."

"Consider this my way of saying thank you, and I'm sorry; I know I haven't really come off as being the most cooperative of patients."

"You weren't so bad; trust me, I've had much worse, but Eliot, for your and their sake… take it easy, okay?" The doctor appealed to the young man who nodded.

"So, what now?" Parker asked. "The guys vetoed the idea of most of the typical shower games we found online."

"I ain't taste testing baby food, sorry. We did; however, come up with a due date poll. Once you tell your friends and family about the kid they can join in the fun; winner gets a grand." Hardison showed the parents the website.

"Who is Tom Baker?" Jaidee questioned.

Nate spoke up. "We used alias'."

"Doctor number four." Donavan said with an approving nod.

"Dude, really?" Hardison smiled when the reference was caught.

"Oh yeah, I grew up watching that show; although, I would say my favorite was the eighth."

"McCoy was the bomb!" Hardison concurred.

"Are you even old enough to have seen this stuff?" Donavan asked him.

"BBC America played re-runs… and a foster brother of mine collected the tapes."

"Do you have any idea what they are talking about?" Eliot whispered to Parker who merely shrugged.

"With all the money we pulled together I don't understand why the winnings are only a grand." Parker responded.

"We agreed the rest was going for a college fund." Eliot reminded her.

"Eh, who needs college?" She brushed it off. "Besides Nate, none of us went."

"Case in point." Nate responded.

Parker rolled her eyes. "Do we get to pick out the baby name now?"

"Huh?" Jaidee questioned as her eyes widened.

"You don't have to use it." Sophie responded. "Parker just thought it would be fun if we came up with our favorite names and put it in the hat for you to draw out; a pink one and blue one, of course."

"Sophie said we should come up with five each." Parker added.

"What names did you put in there?" Nate asked the grifter.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Comeon, I still haven't earned…?"

"Nope."

"Okay, sure." Jaidee conceded taking a seat next to the colored hats and followed Parker's command of keeping her eyes shut before reaching in and pulling out from the pink one. "Oooh, I love this one. Who picked out Kalaya?"

Nate slowly raised his hand.

"That's beautiful." Sophie whispered to him.

"Okay, now the boy's name." Parker pushed the hat towards her.

"I don't know; I think I want to keep it as a girl." She stared down at the name.

"Honey; I think that's already been decided, and we don't get a vote in the matter." Donavan reminded her before closing his eyes. "Here; let me."

"Tarrin." He read.

"I looked up names that had both Thai and English origins." Hardison explained.

"Tarrin Nathaniel Palmer." Jaidee pondered putting Donavan's grandfather's name in the middle. "I like it; I still hope it's a girl."

"Me too." Parker spoke up. "Guys just don't have the same finesse when it comes to evading laser beams."

"What?" Jaidee reacted.

"She's kidding, right?" Donavan asked the others who all shook their heads no.

"Oooh oooh, presents!" Parker shouted out completely bypassing the inquiry.

"Parker, sweetie, we have plenty of time. Why don't we have a bite to eat first?" Sophie suggested. Eliot had already grabbed a plate and snuck out into the living room to rest on the couch. Hardison noticed and followed him out.

"Hey man, are you alright?"

"Yeah." He responded to the hacker's worried glance. "A little headache; I've been on my feet all afternoon."

"We told ya you didn't have to cook…"

"And I told ya I'm fine!" Eliot insisted.

"Okay, okay…" Hardison backed off. "No need to throw a conniption; I got it…"

"What's the plan?" Donavan asked Nate as they both spied the younger gentlemen.

"The flight out to London is set. Sophie has a safe house there we can stay at a couple days before resuming the trip to Boston… Do you think he'll be okay?"

"I don't think there's anything else we can do for him here and he'll be more comfortable at home where he won't feel as boxed in."

"What about the trip?" Nate asked the doctor hoping to hear that they weren't rushing it.

"I'm going to give you these; he can take them every couple of hours. It'll help with the intracranial pressure." Donavan handed Nate a prescription.

"Doc?" Nate questioned.

"Ultimately you'd want to wait until he was fully recovered, but that could take months, and I think psychologically he'll do better when he feels things are going back to normal."

Nate snickered. "That's not going to happen until he can get back into the field which won't be happening for quite a while. So tell me, is it worth it to move him now?"

"The difference between now and a week from now won't be much. Do I think he can handle it? Yeah."

Nate took a deep breath. "Okay."

"Hey." Sophie came up from behind Nate. "I think Parker's more excited about the present opening than the mom-to-be."

"I think Parker's more excited about this whole party than the mom-to-be." Nate countered. "Presents are in the living room with the boys; go ahead, we'll be in there in just a minute."

"Everything okay?" Sophie asked cautiously.

"Yes." Donavan assured her. "We'll be right behind you."

"Congrats, again." She kissed his cheek.

"Thanks." He replied as she led the girls into the living room where Parker sat herself in place to hand Jaidee the gifts.

"I have no idea how to make this up to you." Nate said examining his family; there were still giant steps to climb before things were completely healed, but he didn't want to imagine where they would have been without the Palmer's generosity.

"You do everything in your power to keep that girl happy…" he pointed at Sophie, "and consider us even."

Nate held his hand out to shake in agreement before following the soon-to-be father into the room and sitting on the arm on the chair where the beautiful brunette was seated putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I can already tell you guys; this is too much!" Jaidee said looking at the stack of gifts.

"Looks like I better put together that nursery." Donavan observed.

"There's still some time yet." Nate reminded him. "Enjoy it."

"Yeah, but open this." Parker handed Jaidee over the gift that she had purchased giving herself accolades for the fact that she had _purchased_ the item. Eliot rested his head back content in watching the happy couple's excitement mount as they opened the gifts they had picked out for the new child coming into the world. He glanced over to Nate to see how the event was affecting him and although he held onto a touch of sorrow, even he couldn't help but delight in the occasion.


	83. Chapter 83

**After almost 165 pages there's not enough Eliot? So, I'll concede that the first ten chaps or so he was unconscious… and he spent a little time in a coma after the prison break… okay, okay, I'll work on giving you more of our baby, but he's not the most talkative of characters. He's more the sit back and watch others interact type.**

xxxxxx

After the presents were opened the team worked together to clean up the house before settling in the living room to watch a movie; during which Eliot drifted asleep on the couch.

"Should we move him?" Sophie asked after sending both Parker and Hardison to bed. Their trip to the airport the next morning was early, and was sure to prove to be a long day ahead.

"Nah." Nate shook his head as his gaze never lifted from the worn out hitter.

"You're worried." She noticed. "Donavan wouldn't let him go if he didn't think he could handle it."

"Oh, I'm sure he can _handle _it." Nate responded.

"Nate…?"

"You should get some sleep." He kissed the top of her head.

"Are you going to join me?"

"Later." Nate promised.

"Are you sure that lamenting in the dark is such a good idea?" She questioned.

"Who says…?"

"Nate, I know you. You feel personally responsible for his pain…"

"I am responsible. I can't help but think that every decision I've made was wrong, so what makes me think that this is one is right?"

"It's not your decision alone; we all decided that it's time." Sophie reminded him. "Look, if you're really having doubts we can cancel the flight maybe look into taking a train or bus or…"

"So it can take over three times as long in a cramped space where he can't comfortably lay down?" Nate had already gone through all the options in his head.

"If we wait a week…"

"Doc says it won't matter." At this point his biggest debate was taking a twelve hour flight to London or eighteen hour flight to Boston and just getting it over with. His problem with option B was the time spent over the Atlantic where an emergency landing couldn't be made. He told himself that it was better to find out how well Eliot could handle the air pressure of 100,000 ft before committing to a flight over International waters.

Sophie watched the internal debate going on inside Nate's head. "I can see I'm of no use here. Let me know who wins out?"

"Huh?"

"The battle of ego versus super-ego; of course, if the id comes to play you know where I'll be." She smirked before leaving him with a kiss.

Nate chuckled as he watched the sultry brunette leave the room. He sat back in the chair thinking about the events of that day trying desperately to talk himself out of going to the liquor cabinet. He had gotten caught up in the excitement, but now that it was over his thoughts veered back to his little boy. He knew what it was like to stand by the side of someone that was sick and in pain and be helpless to do anything about it. Nate tried shaking away the worse case scenario image that was dancing in his head where being in that jet caused hemorrhaging and by the time the medical team got to him it was too late to treat. He hadn't even realized that his eyelids had fallen until he jumped awake and ventured to the kitchen to pour himself a scotch.

When he came back he found Eliot squirming on the couch in what had to be some kind of nightmare. He hadn't thought about placing the drink down before rushing over to the hitter's side in attempts to wake him up. Nate placed a hand on Eliot's shoulder causing him to react as his elbow cracked against the bottom of the older man's chin. Nate fumbled back and the tumbler dropped from his grasp.

Eliot woke up to the pain that surged through his injured shoulder from the involuntary movement. He cradled on with his other arm while breathing through any outward moans.

"Eliot…" Nate came forward while checking the mobility of his lower jaw. "Are you okay?"

"Are you?" Eliot hissed.

"Yeah; although you haven't lost your touch, damn." He continued inspecting for blood.

"I didn't mean…"

"Don't." Nate stopped him. "I should have known better; it just looked like you were having a bad dream. Can I, um.. get you some ice? For the shoulder."

"No; it's fine, but you might want to get a towel." Eliot looked down to see the spill on the designer area rug.

"Sure." Nate muttered feeling guilty that the hitter knew what he was up to. He came back with a towel and Eliot had already propped himself up ready to help. "I got it." The mastermind assured him.

"Was this the first one?" Eliot asked when the puddle was gone. Nate stared back unwilling to answer. "What? You guys can worry about me all you want, but I can't be concerned?"

"It would have been my first." Nate admitted.

"Since…?"

"Since the night we arrived."

"I don't blame ya." Eliot admitted looking at the stack of baby gifts. "This couldn't have been easy."

"Not especially; and yet I'm not the one having nightmares."

"No, 'course not. Your strategy has always been to drink yourself silly so you can't feel or think nothin'." He responded visible showing signs of exhaustion as he veered the topic away from him.

"So are you for or against my drinking tonight?" Nate chuckled.

"I don't know." Eliot rubbed his eyes and rested back.

"El, do you want to lay in the bed?"

After a moment of thinking about it he whispered the affirmation and sat back up.

"Eliot." Nate stopped him before he stood up. "Hh.. how do you feel about the travel arrangements?"

"Is that what this is about? I've flown with a concussion or two in my lifetime. It sucks, but I'll live." Eliot assured him before getting to his feet. "Nate, go to sleep."

"Okay, okay, I'm going." Nate responded slightly more pacified.


	84. Chapter 84

**With as much anticipation you have in checking for updates; that's how much I look forward to the reviews ;-) Last chapter with our doctor friends, make sure to say goodbye! **

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After an early breakfast Sophie pulled Donavan aside to make sure that he knew how much she, personally, appreciated what was done for her family.

"It was nothing." He brushed aside the gratitude. "It was good to see you again; I want you to know that you can drop by anytime. Open invitation."

She threw her arms around him and he reciprocated the hug. "I may just take you up on that."

"I mean it; don't be a stranger."

"I'll make sure to do a better job of staying in touch." She promised. "If you ever need _anything_, don't hesitate to call. I mean it; anything you need and it's yours."

"I've never needed the world, you know that."

"I'm not talking about the world." Sophie smiled. "I'm talking about one act of kindness at a time, isn't that what you taught me?"

Donavan nodded. "It took Nate to get through to you."

"Nate lost the most precious thing in his life because he asked the wrong person to help; please, if you need any…"

"I will notify you in a heartbeat." Donavan interrupted her as he realized what she was offering him.

"And send me pictures." She requested.

"Without a doubt." He smiled. "Now we really should drop you off at the airport. Make sure to have Nate call me if there are any complications."

"I wouldn't worry about that." Sophie mumbled knowing that she would probably be the first one on the phone with him if there was any hint that something seemed wrong.

"Hardison and Parker just got back." Nate told the pair as they reentered the kitchen; Hardison and Parker not far behind. They had borrowed one of the vehicles to dispose of the van that was listed as stolen in Myanmar.

"Which means it's officially time to go." Sophie looked to the doctor.

"Are you ready for this?" The doctor asked Eliot as he finished the last sip of his tea.

"I'm bordering on absolutely and not at all." Eliot snickered. "I can't wait to get home."

"Home?" Parker questioned him.

"Yea, home." He reiterated. Eliot had always been taught that home was where your heart was, but somehow Boston, with the team, had become that haven. Hardison, Nate, and Donavan grabbed the bags to bring to the car as Sophie looked over the itinerary once more.

"I gave Nate a couple months worth of the antibiotic; you should be able to get by without a refill. If symptoms persist beyond that, I want you to contact this guy," Donavan handed him a card. "He's a colleague of mine; just tell him I sent you."

"Will do, thanks Doc." Eliot shook his hand.

"We're not always the enemy."

"Really?" Eliot grinned. "Can I have a beer?"

"No." Donavan shook his head.

"I rest my case."

"It's six o'clock in the morning." Sophie questioned his request.

"It's five o'clock somewhere." The hitter shrugged.

"That would make it six o'clock yesterday evening in Boston." Parker nodded.

"See." Eliot pointed towards the thief who made his case for him.

"You should be getting plenty of water." Donavan warned him. "I gave Nate something to assist with the pressure. Eliot, you do need to be careful. People have caused permanent damage traveling too soon after a concussion."

"I know." Eliot responded seriously. He was kidding about the drink; as much as he would love a cold one he was well aware of the damage the alcohol could cause.

"Alright, we're set. Hardison, Parker, you're with Jaidee. Eliot, Sophie and I will go with the doc. When you guys get to London, I need you to pick up a few things." Nate handed Hardison a shopping list, mostly groceries.

"Man, did we really have to book two different airlines? And why do we get the lay-over?" Hardison whined.

"Really?" Eliot asked sarcastically.

"It was either that or have you travel coach." Nate reminded him. As it worked out there were three first class seats available in the flight they wanted which they had prioritized putting Eliot on, and Nate wasn't leaving the hitter's side.

"Oh no, the lay-over is fine." Parker beamed.

"Parker, what are you planning to steal?" Nate questioned the thief who shyly turned her head. "Parker!"

"I've had my eye on the Queen Marie Sapphire for awhile, if Hardison can just hack…"

"That's in Germany?" Sophie's eyes widened.

"Green Vault, and since we're flying right into Dresden I figured this would be my best chance." Parker whispered to the grifter as they talked through the heist.

"We have to go." Nate gently pulled on Sophie's arm. "You two; don't get caught."

"Hey, maybe Sophie would want to take my seat."

"No; I need _you_ to turn off the cameras." Parker insisted.

The hacker shrugged. "I suppose it could be fun. Hey, take care, man."

Eliot nodded and reached his arm out for an Eliot/Hardison variety handshake before allowing Parker to give him a hug, and then gave a hug to the hostess who was enjoying the interactions silently.

"Go easy on them." Jaidee whispered to him. "They only hover because they care."

"I'll try." He responded back quietly before giving Hardison a warning. "If she gets hurt; it's your ass I'm kicking."

"Whoa, whoa, her idea; HER IDEA!" He repeated as the others walked out to the car. "Whose ass is he fixin' on pummeling if it's this bro that takes a beatin', huh?"


	85. Chapter 85

**You can thank the big North Eastern storm that I got snowed in today. Enjoy! I will try not to neglect this one while writing the other one as well.**

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Eliot sat back in his seat on the jet having requested the window; instinctually he grabbed the emergency procedures manual although he really didn't have to. He knew those things inside and out, and happened to know way more about the protocol than they would ever publish. Nate took the seat next to him and pushed his carry on bag which was stocked with prescriptions and bottled water for Eliot and puzzles and mystery novels for himself under the seat in front of him.

"Nate, I don't… wouldn't you rather be sitting with Sophie?"

"Sophie is doing just fine here." Sophie stated across the aisle from them with a stack of catalogues in hand.

"I'm not leaving." Nate told him.

"My plan is to sleep through most of this."

"That's great, but if you need anything I'm here. And Eliot, if it gets to be too much I want you to say something. One word and I will make sure to get this thing on the ground."

Eliot saw the look of resolution in the older man's eyes and couldn't argue. "Okay, if it feels like my head's going to explode, I will tell you."

"Before it gets to the point where it's actually going to…" Sophie clarified.

"You guys, I'll be fine."

"The problem is that we keep hearing that." Sophie argued.

"And I am…"

"Suffering from pneumonia, a very severe concussion, a dislocated shoulder which I know first hand is still hurting you, and broken ribs that wont heal due to all the hacking you've been doing." Nate interrupted him.

"Technically it's Hardison that does all the hacking." Eliot quipped very poorly.

"You making light of this isn't helping." Sophie told him.

Eliot threw his hands up in frustration. "What do you want? I promise; if I feel like it's life threatening I will let you know."

"That's exactly what I want." Nate said as he patted the hitter's knee and pulled out a couple pills urging the hitter to take them with some water. He screwed the top back on the bottle and stuck it into the seat pocket in front of him for easy access before positioning himself to look out the window. The rest of the cabin filled before the flight attendants went through the safety procedures in preparation for take off. By the time the plane hit the runway Eliot had already started dozing off.

Nate watched him intently as they got further and further into the air while feeling his own ears start to pop. Eliot's head moved slightly to the pressure change but his sleep remained unfazed. When they hit cruising height Nate finally took his gaze off the hitter and pulled out a book feeling, at least, some comfort in the current situation until Eliot was woken up by his own coughing leaving him gasping for air.

"El…" Nate handed him the water bottle. Eliot took a sip and dropped his seat farther back.

"Excuse me." He heard Sophie say to the attendant. "Can we get a pillow?" She pointed over to her 'brother-in-law.'

"Sure. Would you need a sleep mask?"

"Please." Nate spoke up and bounced his knee in anticipation waiting for her to come back while listening to Eliot moan softly trying to find a comfortable position. The sound of discomfort wasn't something that could be heard by the neighboring passengers but grated heavily on the mastermind's nerves. The flight attendant returned promptly and Sophie motioned to hand the supplies over to Nate.

"Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Um… can I have an orange juice, splash of vodka?" He whispered the last part. He knew Sophie's eyes were glaring at him, but it was the only way he knew he was going to get through the next ten hours.

"Eliot…" He gently called out.

"'m okay." Eliot replied instinctually.

"Uh huh. How would you like a pillow?" The younger man peered over opening his eyes a slit before accepting the prompt. Without a word Eliot took the mask and pillow from Nate offering a slight nod of gratitude before melting into the headrest a drifting back into oblivion.

"Sir, is everything alright with your, um…?" The attendant questioned handing Nate the drink.

"Brother." Nate finished for her.

"I can see the resemblance." She commented causing Nate to smirk just a little.

Nate took the opportunity to lay the groundwork in the possibility of an emergency and whispered hoping to keep other passenger's from overhearing. "Actually, he was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. His doctor referred him to a specialist in London for an experimental procedure; we knew the trip was going to be rough due to the pressure, but the thought was this was his best option."

"I'm sorry to hear that is there anything we can do?"

"The doctor made sure I knew what to look out for in the slight chance of a brain bleed; if medical attention is received quickly enough it reduces the chance of permanent damage."

She acknowledged her understanding of the request. "I'll alert the pilot of the situation."

"Thank you; I don't mean to disrupt everyone's travel plans. His doctor was fairly certain he could handle this flight."

"It's not a problem; let me know if you need anything else."

"I will." Nate assured the woman taking a drink as she took orders down the aisle.

"Nate." Sophie caught his attention.

"Don't; I know what you're going to say, and just don't."

"I was going to say nice cover." She corrected him.

"Oh."

"I told you once, you're the thief now, you can save yourself." Sophie replied back slightly annoyed. Nate shook his head; that wasn't what she was preaching almost a week ago, but figured he should let it slide and go back to his book.

XXXXX

Three fourths of the way through the trip and the pain was officially interfering with Eliot's capability to sleep through it. He spoke briefly to Nate to assure the man that his condition was not critical and take another dosage of anti-inflammatory medication before laying back in his chair curled in a ball with his forehead pressed into his forearm.

The father inside of Nate was screaming out to do something to help; do something to offer comfort, but he wasn't sure how much Eliot would accept. Nate listened to the breathing change, and the more deliberate it became the more anxious he felt.

"How is he?" The attendant, who he had found out, was named Heidi, asked him.

"Would it be possible to get a bag of ice?" He requested to which she readily replied. He wasn't sure how well or if it would do any good but figured it was worth a shot.

Nate gave him fair warning before applying the ice pack over the fresh scar on the base of the hitter's skull where he took the impact damage. It seemed to help some as Nate held it in place while rubbing his back with his free hand which Eliot allowed without objection.

Eliot's focus was blocking out everything around him; every voice, every scream, every light flicker send pulsating pain through his skull. He didn't want to admit it, but the touch helped; if nothing else it gave him something soothing to focus on. When Nate stopped to grab a sip of his drink Eliot shifted his hand over to grab onto the ice pack proving he could handle it himself.

"Nate, do we have any pain killers we can give him?" Sophie reached over to ask him clearly as apprehensive about it as Nate was.

"Doc said no; we could give him something to assist with the pressure, but he wants Eliot to be aware of any bleeding."

"Not even to dull it?" Sophie questioned teary eyed just thinking about what he was going through.

"Soph, this is fine." Eliot responded after hours of saying little to nothing.

"Passengers, at this point in time, we ask that all seats are put back in their upright positions as we prepare for landing…" They heard the announcement over the loud speaker.

"You catch that?" Nate asked the hitter.

"I caught it." Eliot replied; although sound was muffled due ear popping there was no doubt that he heard everything.

"Not too much longer." Sophie encouraged as Eliot struggled to sit upright but pushing away Nate's hands as they offered assistance instead he leaned himself forward cradling himself against his palm which was stabilized off his knee. It has been hours since he had seen Eliot's face and hadn't realized how pale the hitter had gotten unfortunately even if it was getting bad there was nothing he could do since they were already in the process of landing.

"Eliot, you're really not looking well." Nate observed trying to avoid the proverbial 'I'm fine'.

"There's no bleeding." Eliot panted as made sure to hold the ice pack in place.

"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Nate asked willing to set up for emergency vehicle when they landed.

"No." He answered what seemed like too quickly. All he wanted was to get back to the safe house where he could lay down and sleep.


	86. Chapter 86

Eliot pushed himself onto unsteady feet after the plane landed, again denying the necessity of any medical assistance and pushing away any physical aide that Nate attempted to provide him. Seeing that he was waging a losing war Nate backed away letting the hitter follow him out the jet.

"Where are you going?" Nate asked as Eliot pulled ahead in the terminal.

"Restroom." Eliot didn't break stride to respond.

"Nate, I don't know…" Sophie looked to the mastermind.

"Go ahead to the baggage claim, we'll meet you there." He assured her feeling the same way she did that the hitter shouldn't be left alone, although he did respect the privacy enough to wait outside the men's restroom. He watched carefully as he saw some of the same guys that went in come back out.

"Sir…" A man approached him. "You were on the flight from Thailand with your brother, right?"

"That's right, why?"

"He's not doing so well." The man responded pointing at the door.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's sick."

"Shit!" Nate exclaimed ready to knock down the door but offered his gratitude to the man first.

Eliot was hunched over the toilet in one of the stalls that he hadn't been able to lock before losing the contents in his stomach. Nate found him coughing and spitting up what remained before settling down next to him rubbing his back and handing him another bottle of water once it seemed the urgency had calmed.

"Eliot, is that blood?" Nate asked the hitter before he had the opportunity to reach over to the lever and flush.

"Not enough to worry." Eliot huffed still sucking in deep breaths as he hung onto his now throbbing rib cage.

"Why don't you let me decide what I get to worry about?"

"It's nothin'." The hitter insisted. "Pneumonia, and old scar tissue… don't mix."

"Old scar tissue, in your lungs?" Nate caught on questioning the wheezing hitter. "How long have you been hiding this little fact of yours?"

Eliot glanced over to him with his pale face and sweat glimmering off his forehead running down his cheeks. He hadn't told anyone about the bleeds that still occurred whenever the coughing got especially bad since the day he woke up in the hospital. Nate didn't need the younger man to say anything in order to know the answer. He wanted to be angry, deep down he was furious; this was yet another thing that Eliot was hiding from them. It didn't matter, though, because what looked back at him was a boy in pain, and he had seen that look before. All he could do was guide the hitter over to him letting him rest his head against his lap running his fingers through his hair before gently messaging the nape of his neck while Eliot curled into a ball. This was the closest Nate had ever seen Eliot willingly be comforted, which just served to worry him that much more.

"Hey El; if we don't meet up with Sophie quick she's probably going to send out a search party." With the prompt Eliot started to sit up. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

Eliot nodded; and the color back in his face eased the mastermind just a little as he offered his hand to lift him up.

"I don't suppose I can ask you to not tell the others." Eliot requested while washing his hands and rinsing out his mouth.

"About the nausea or the blood?" Nate questioned.

"Either."

Nate didn't see any reason to give details about the nausea; he expected that much. The pressure acted much like a migraine would. What bothered him was the fact that Eliot was still holding back information, not just from him but from the doctor that was treating him. "I don't know what to do anymore. It doesn't seem to make a difference anyway. I just want you to really think about who would be affected if something happened to you, and if it's really worth it to keep up some charade. Come on, let's go."

Eliot followed without response contemplating Nate's request. He knew the rest of the team would be devastated; they would try to blame themselves, but they were survivors. He was sure of that, or at least that's what he had convinced himself. Sophie had already secured cab when the met up with her. Nate helped load the bags and took the passengers seat. Sophie scooted into the back and allowed Eliot to use her lap as a pillow falling asleep quickly as she massaged circles into his temple.


	87. Chapter 87

"Nate, how much longer?" Sophie questioned not willing to take her eyes off of Eliot long enough to look out the window to gauge distance to the safe house. He had yet to waken but shifted uncomfortably wrapping his arms over his midsection.

"Not long. Why? What's wrong?" Nate turned around to ask her.

"Do you think we can give him some pain killers now?" She asked feeling her heart break as he struggled.

"Not on an empty stomach." He warned.

"He ate…"

"It's empty, trust me."

Sophie shook her head suddenly aware of what took them so long to meet up with her. No wonder he hadn't fought when she offered a cushion to sleep on; he was exhausted and aching from the inside out. "Maybe this wasn't such a bright idea." She whispered still stroking her hand through his hair.

"Soph, do you know anyone here that can perform a chest scan?"

"Um… yeah, I might know someone. Is this a precautionary thing or do you believe there's something to worry about?"

"He's coughing up blood." Nate divulged. "He says it's just from old scaring, but I don't know what to believe anymore."

"He's what?" Sophie reacted which caused the hitter to shift.

"Yeah." Nate nodded in that 'I'm right with you' tone. "Has been since he was admitted into the hospital, maybe before that; it's not like we even know when the pneumonia developed."

"Actually… I do." She admitted. "It was after the Penzer job, when he…"

"When he got thrown into the bay." The mastermind realized. "Did we even suggest he get checked out after that?"

"Even if we had he would have shrugged it off." Sophie argued attempting to dissuade Nate from taking on the blame himself.

"Maybe; but only because he knew he could get away with it." That couldn't happen anymore, it wouldn't, not if Nate had any say over the matter.

The cab driver pulled into the driveway and Nate handed over the faire in cash while Sophie roused Eliot and persuaded him into the house going straight for the master bed that Sophie told him he could take. She followed him into the room in order to pull the curtains closed; he was out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Sophie came over to lift the blanket over him and kiss his forehead.

"Sleep tight." She whispered before joining Nate in the kitchen as he scrounged for some instant coffee. "What are you doing?"

"Tea, tea…. More tea." He threw packets on the counter.

"We're in England."

"Don't remind me." He rolled his eyes. "Isn't there anything…!"

"Nate." She responded approaching him with a hug. "It's been a long day; a very long day. It's going to be hours before Hardison and Parker get back and hopefully just as long before Eliot wakes up. Why don't you lie down while I see if I can fix something up?"

"Like what?" He looked around.

"I think I may have left some spaghetti here." She searched the cupboards for the pasta and sauce; smiling to her success.

Nate smirked. "I wonder if there's any rugby on." He moved to lie on the couch with the remote in hand.

XXXXX

"I can get that." Sophie yelled at Nate as he ran the water to wash the dishes after the movie ended. After Nate flipped through the channels to find nothing of interest Sophie pulled out a DVD that she was in the mood to watch. He didn't mind as long as it meant she was wrapped up next to him.

"You made lunch; I can handle the clean up." Nate assured her.

Sophie jumped up to the sound of coughing down the hall and raced in to see him. "Any blood?" She asked finding him sitting up on the bed.

"Nate told you." Eliot rasped.

"Yeah; Nate told me." She sat down on the edge of the bed as Nate crept into the doorway.

"Now for the lecture?" He asked pushing himself back down to the horizontal position.

"That depends. I'll forgo the whole thing… if you tell me how you got the scarring." She watched him turn away from her. "Eliot, please."

"I was stationed in Bosnia on a stake out; spying on a Lieutenant Colonel of the Serb army suspected on charges of Genocide. I was supposed to observe and report back. My partner told me to stay, but there were kids; boys not even ten years old. I had to… I had to do something."

"Of course you did." Sophie held his hand. This was the first time she had heard him discuss anything related to the military training they all suspected he had.

"I managed to fight off most of the guards while my partner, Gilbertson, led the boys to the direction of the path to our base and then turned around to come back for me. He shouldn't have. I got hit from the back and knocked out and he was captured alongside me. Mladic tried to get us to talk; give up coordinates of our base, names of our superiors, but… Gilbertson was killed right in front of me, but I kept my mouth shut."

"So they tortured you." Nate stated for the first time announcing his presents.

"Pressing; I was stretched out on a slab and crushed one stone at a time as they tried to pump the information out of me. It went on for about eight hours before my unit was able to raid the compound. I broke seven ribs, punctured both lungs and the left one collapsed. If I would have gotten to medical attention even a half an hour later I probably wouldn't have survived."

"The Bosnia war, that was…" Sophie started to say.

"'95; I wasn't yet 21-year-old." Eliot responded. "After surgery to repair the damage I was sent home to recuperate. God, I thought my mama was gonna have a heart attack. She was so scared. She begged me to get out after that; get a medical discharge, but in less than six months I was back with my unit after giving Aimee a ring promising to be back for her when my term was up. I figured she needed that to hang on to; that wasn't the worse I'd suffer while serving my duty but it was the only time I allowed my family to get a glimpse of it."

"Where are they now?" Sophie questioned.

Eliot shrugged and turned his body away from her.

"Okay; I get it. I saved some spaghetti for you if you're hungry." She offered. "It's not nearly as good as what you make, but it's all we got."

"Sure." He replied with a smirk. His headache was starting to fade to a dull ache the more he slept.

Nate volunteered to get it instead while Sophie stayed with the hitter asking him about the extent of the damage to his lungs and if he thought a chest scan should be done. He denied the need; swearing that he would know if there was any serious internal damage. Nate was heating the pasta when the door opened and the two younger thieves came in with proud grins on their faces.

"So?" Nate questioned. Parker threw the blue gem in his direction.

"Almost not worth it." She smiled feeling it was just a tad too easy.

"Oh really? You just remember who covered your ass while all the thieving was taking place. Can someone please attest to the fact that there's not a scratch on her; props to this man, right here." Hardison demanded.

"I'll let Eliot know; so groceries?" Nate questioned.

"In the car." Hardison pointed back to the street. They had picked up the rental before making the grocery run. Nate offered to help, suggesting that Parker could bring the plate in for Eliot.

"Oooh, I can tell him all about the heist." Parker beamed snatching the sapphire from Nate's hand.

"Just, go easy on him, okay?" He warned as she skipped down the hall.


	88. Chapter 88

**For those wishing for a snow day, thank you! I know the E/P fans are probably getting a little restless, so, here you go. **

xxxxxx

"That was it?" Eliot questioned Parker after she recanted the story.

"Yeah; I know, right? Nate is killing us, here; there's almost no point anymore." Parker responded.

"I wouldn't say that." Sophie said still admiring the sapphire.

"You want it?" Parker offered.

"Parker, I couldn't."

"Sure you could. I have no use for it." The girl responded; for her the fun was in the heist. "Hardison said that I should point out the fact that there is not a scratch on me, unless you count this." She pointed to a bruise on her elbow. "But I got that bumping into someone on the plane; a Mr. Anton Hertz."

Eliot stopped mid bite to raise an eyebrow.

"Stole his wallet; it was instinct." She explained. "I gave it back."

Eliot laughed at the innocence of it. "You want me to beat up Hardison for it anyway?"

"Nah; we'll let him off the hook, this time. He did do a really good job of keeping a look out for me."

"I know." Eliot was well aware of the fact that Hardison would never let anything happen to Parker if he could help it. He also knew that Parker had been taking care of herself for a long time before the team formed, but it didn't mean he felt any better about her being out there without him to protect her.

"Eliot, you're not always going to be there." Parker told him. "And that's okay; we can manage, but it would be nice to know that you _will_ be here when we _do_ need you."

"I will."

"No; you won't." Sophie cut in. "Not if you keep doing what you're doing. It's not exactly fair for you to ask us be extra cautious when you throw your own physical health to the wind."

"Sophie, please don't." He asked her to keep the newest development to herself.

"What am I missing?" Parker asked them.

"Nothing, sweetie."

"How did the flight go?" Parker asked Eliot taking Sophie at her word.

"About as good as I expected."

"So all kinds of painful?" She questioned.

"All kinds." He confirmed. "But I'm fine, give me another day and I'll be set for round two."

"Let's not rush it, El." Sophie warned him.

"Why? He seems fine; the sooner we get home the faster we can put this whole mess behind us."

"It's not quite that easy Parker." Nate came into the room.

"I know; when it gets bad enough even Wolverine needs to take some time to heal. At least that's what Hardison says." She responded causing Eliot to smile. "You wouldn't know by the movies, but in the comic books…"

"Yeah, I know." Nate admitted before reacting to Sophie's glance. "What? It's a classic. Anyway, um… we should let Logan, here, get some sleep."

Parker looked to Eliot for confirmation who handed off the empty plate. "Hey, the more rest I get now the sooner we get home."

"Okay." She nodded.


	89. Chapter 89

After the other went to sleep Nate slipped into Eliot's room to see how the hitter was doing. Eliot rested the afternoon away unbothered by the crew except to inquire about the need for food or drink which masked the concern for his coughing. It appeared he had fallen back to sleep since his last fit. Nate sat back in the chair at the corner of the room allowing his night vision to kick in and watch as the hitter's chest rose and fell to each breath.

Nate remembered similar nights when Sam was sick doing the exact same thing. He wanted all the time he could with his little boy treasuring every moment they had even if that moment was watching the boy snuggle up with his teddy bear while vast asleep.

That day, being the men's room with Eliot cradled against him, brought those memories back. He knew it would, which was precisely why he had tried to keep them at arms length. It was a running joke; Nate, Sophie, and the kids. Every once in a while there was a 'dad' jab thrown in when Nate exerted authority, but they never knew how deep it ran. He couldn't afford to get too close, and yet, somehow, his heart didn't seem to get that message.

Nate was about to leave when he saw signs of internal struggle and agitation. He wanted to approach the man but his jaw reminded him of how much of a 'not good idea' that was; instead he sat back and waited for Eliot to reorient himself.

"Do you make it a habit of watching people sleep?" Eliot questioned.

"Not typically; the time change is kind of messing with my internal clock." He answered ignoring the irritation in the younger mans query. "I just stopped in to check before heading to bed myself. The um… nightmares, they're still…"

"Yeah." Eliot answered.

"That ninety minutes of sleep thing…?"

"We all have our own ways of dealing."

"Eliot, when is the last time you had eight hours of uninterrupted sleep when you weren't unconscious?" Nate asked him.

"Almost a decade ago." He responded without contemplation.

"Who was it?" Nate questioned knowing the signs.

"Huh?"

"You lost someone."

"Yeah; but talking about it ain't gonna make the dreams go away, so I'd really appreciate it if…"

"Who?" Nate pressed causing Eliot to shift away. "El…?"

"The other half of me." He replied regretfully. "The good one."

"Eliot, _you_ are a good man. The person I see in front of me is the most honorable and loyal person I have ever met. I know you have a past; we all do…"

"Nate…" Eliot tried to stop him from blowing over the carnage that he had caused in his.

"I didn't turn you into the person you are today, Eliot, you did that! You deserve to be happy. You deserve to have people care about you. Eliot, I… I love you, and I don't mean that in some weird, homosexual type slash way… I…"

"What? You don't find me damn sexy?" Eliot snickered, coughing as he did.

"Go to sleep." Nate shook his head leaving the hitter alone.

'I love you, too.' Eliot whispered once he was sure Nate was out of earshot. That was the problem, though, he cared maybe just a little too much.


	90. Chapter 90

It was the third time in less than a half an hour that Eliot turned to check the time when he decided that even though dawn had barely broke spending anymore time in bed wasn't going to do any good. He eased himself up hoping that the dull ache at the back of his skull would stay put not needing to relive another day of pulsating pain that caused his stomach to churn. Fortunately enough, the venture to his feet proved simple enough that he grabbed clean clothes and proceeded to the restroom to take care of his personal hygiene.

After a satisfying shower, Eliot starred at himself in the mirror and barely recognized the guy looking back at him. No wonder everyone was acting like he was about to break. The pallor of his skin was easy enough for him to fix; it was the loss of muscle definition that concerned him the most. He lifted his right arm to test shoulder maneuverability before deciding to wrap his ribcage.

Light footed Eliot stepped over the hacker who was stretched out in a sleeping bag on the floor of the study. His laptop was barely a foot from his head with the screen saver on. In the corner of the room was a display of free weights. He stood contemplating which to grab, finally settling on a weight of 25 pounds which would have been effortlessly light for him a couple weeks back. He made his way to the living room hoping it would be unattended while he did a few rounds of curls and lateral rises.

Parker stood in the hallway admiring the view of the hitter in a tank top and sweat pants while his bicep muscles clenched to the curl and sweat glistened his forehead.

"You gonna tell me to stop?" Eliot asked hearing her approach the room.

"No." Parker replied surely heading to the freezer to grab an ice pack while he set down the weight. She returned and pressed it against his shoulder for him as he sunk into the couch.

Eliot smiled. "It's okay, I was finishing up anyway."

"It's amazing how the body has its own way of telling you when it has had enough. A few years ago I sprained my knee, but that didn't stop me for going after the Polar Star. I nearly got caught when I tried flipping through the system and my leg gave out." She explained.

"Nearly?"

"I was near enough to an air duct that I was able to boost myself into while the guards split up looking for me, but it was close." Parker smiled thinking about the adrenaline rush she got from it.

The hitter laughed. "There's something wrong with you."

"From where I'm sitting there's something a little wrong with the both of us."

"I won't argue with that." He agreed.

"Who did you let close enough to do that?" Parker poked at Eliot's shoulder causing him to wince.

"Lo." Eliot answered.

"Why?"

"I had to. You know how Nate likes to compare what we do to playing a game of chess?" He waited for her to nod. "It's kind of like that. I made a play knowing that I was sacrificing a knight in order to avoid checkmate."

"When you mean checkmate…?" She asked him realizing he was talking about the real life no coming back definition of the word.

"Checkmate." He confirmed.

"That man deserved to die."

Eliot shook his head. "Would you be saying that if I told you he had a wife and two kids at home waiting for him?"

"I don't care." She responded apathetically.

"You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do. Given the chance he would have killed you. In my book that makes him the bad guy."

"Since I killed him what does that make me?"

"You didn't set out to hurt anyone, and if you were in better shape you wouldn't have had to kill him." Parker defended him.

"That doesn't absolve me from responsibility of another child losing their parent."

"Another?" She asked him.

"That's not the first life I've taken."

"Eliot, you're never going to convince me you're the villain." Parker insisted and then changed the subject. "If your arm is the knight what would be your pawns?"

"Huh? I don't know. My fingers and toes, I suppose."

The thief nodded in agreement. "Wouldn't you think your leg would be the knight? When I think of the horse… not that I really want to think of the horse, but they're more about speed and running…"

"Okay, fine, he took my bishop?" He questioned to see if that was any better.

"You know what I'm in the mood for?"

"Do I even want to ask?" He questioned the next deviate in conversation.

"Pancakes!" She beamed knowing they she and Hardison had picked up the ingredients. "With blueberries and chocolate chips."

"Blueberries and chocolate chips?" He made a disturbed expression not sure how he felt about that particular combination. He got up to take a peek in the refrigerator. "How about strawberries and chocolate chips?"

"No." She followed him to the kitchen ready to help if he asked. "Blueberries, they're right there."

"I know that. Fine; I guess there's a first time for everything." He batted at the hand pointing out the fruit as he thought out ways to make a syrup with the extra blueberries to tie in the flavor.

"See; never going to be the bad guy."


	91. Chapter 91

**Sorry for the long wait, and I know it's kind of short. My week consisted of training for a new job in which I had to test out for on Friday. I start that in another week where I will be working the second shift which may allow for more writing time during the day. Thanks for the continued support! **

xxxxxx

"When are you putting the chocolate chips in?" Parker watched Eliot stir the batter.

"When the batter goes on the griddle." He explained.

"If you do that then it's not all mixed in." She observed.

"Ah huh." He replied holding back the 'that's the point' ready to escape his lips.

"Come on… just…" She grabbed the chocolate chips from the bag and attempted to sprinkle them into the bowl that Eliot was doing a good job at keeping from her.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Nate asked as the 'kids' chased each other in the kitchen.

"We're making breakfast." Parker said innocently.

"Well, stop it before someone gets hurt!" Sophie came out behind Nate.

"Stop making breakfast?" Parker questioned confused.

"She means stop horsing around." Nate clarified before locking eyes with the annoyed hitter. "You're looking a lot better."

"Told ya I would be." Eliot stated gruffly before spooning out Parker's pancakes. He held out his hand for the thief to pour chocolate chips onto before allowing them to sink into the batter as it cooked.

Nate rolled his eyes not needing the mention that what the hitter tended to say rarely matched how he felt as of late. Sophie noticed the weight sitting next to the couch and cringed. "I'm sorry." Sophie replied with her soft English cadence. "I didn't mean to interrupt your morning work out."

"Oh, don't worry; he finished that a while ago." Parker interjected missing the glares between the hitter and grifter.

"Parker…" Nate motioned for her to keep the commentary to herself.

"What?" She questioned before looking around. "Oh."

"Maybe we should go for a walk." Nate suggested to the girl.

"But my pancakes…"

"No." Eliot spoke up. "Sophie, if you want to say something, say it! Let's just get it out there. You want to know why I don't say something when I have a headache or get the sniffles? This, this is why. Yes; I am working on building my strength back because at the moment I can't put enough weight on my shoulder to do a fuckin' push up."

"Eliot…" She stated softly watching him flip the flap-jack. "We're not asking to be made aware of every hangnail; but as people that care about you we do ask to be put in the loop when you're coughing up blood."

Parker glanced over to Eliot as if to ask if what she was hearing was accurate; the lack of eye contact back gave her the answer.

"I'm thrilled…" Sophie continued. "I'm thrilled you have the energy to get up, work out, and make breakfast. Honestly, I am, but I can't ignore the facts. One good day does not mean…"

"What? That I can't handle a couple a bicep curls?"

"Eliot…" Nate tried to cut in.

"When are we going home?" Eliot asked the mastermind with pleading eyes. Nate knew exactly what he was craving. It was the same thing Nate was longing for as well, but as much as he wanted that time to himself he wasn't sure _he_ was up for another day like the day before quite yet.

"Soon enough." Nate responded.

'I doubt that.' Eliot whispered as he plopped more batter onto the griddle handing the young thief a plate.

"Eliot, are you…?" She started to ask.

"Scar tissue." He responded giving as much of an explanation as he was willing to offer.

"But you're okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah; yeah Parker, I'm fine." He responded before pouring some of his syrup over the pancakes. "If those suck, it's not my fault."

Parker took a bite and smiled; exactly what she wanted.

XXXXX

Eliot left a stack of blueberry pancakes sitting by the stove before grabbing his sweatshirt and heading for the door.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Nate asked him.

The hitter shook his head feeling the need to get out and walk it off. After the round with Sophie there was a tense silence in the living room that was only broken by the television set. "Save me a couple."

"You had to go there?" Nate asked the grifter once Eliot left.

"You're blaming me?" She looked hurt.

"He was having fun." Parker threw in. "What's the harm in that? If it looked like I was hurting him, I would have stopped."

"Do you think you'd be able to recognize…"

"Yes!" Parker demanded. "I always could see it. I just didn't know how much… but now I know."

"Do you? Do you really?" Sophie asked knowing that there were things that Eliot specifically did not want Parker knowing to protect the girl.

"Sophie, drop it." Nate advised.

"I can't believe you're taking his…"

"I'm not taking anybody's side." The mastermind insisted. "Although I do have to admit that I am completely sold on the zodiac thing."

"What do you mean by that?" Sophie questioned.

"Nuh uh. My self preservation instinct is telling me to keep my mouth shut on this one. Come on; let's not let good food go to waste." Nate directed her towards the kitchen. When it came to dealing with people and emotions Sophie was typically the person he would go to; however, in this case she was too close, and the similarities in personality and stubbornness became abundantly clear.

"Tell me you don't think it's a good idea…?"

"Sophie, it doesn't matter what I think, and if you're asking my honest opinion, his lifting a twenty five pound weight is not going to kill him. His body will tell him if it's too much."

"You are taking his side." She responded.

Nate raked his hands through his hair, pulling as he got to the back. On second thought, maybe it was time to go back to Boston.


	92. Chapter 92

**Author's note: for copyrights sake, nothing in this story belongs to me except the concept. Happy V-day if I don't get another chapter out before then.**

Eliot took the path from their safe house out towards the neighboring side streets where some of the older style shops and pubs still stood. The sky was grey as if to suggest it was about to rain at any moment, but the moisture not heavy enough to leave the hitter concerned. However; there was the voice in his head saying that it was not the best of circumstances to be out while facing pneumonia which was pushed back either in silent rebellion or just the need to not be in the same space with certain people for extended periods of time. It wasn't that he didn't love them, or he didn't enjoy their company, but him feeling locked up with anyone had a way of grating on him. His dealing with a concussion was only added fuel to an already burning bonfire. He was broken from his own stream of consciousness by a woman shouting profanities down the block from him. Eliot looked over to see her kicking a very flat tire after it appeared she back into the curve trying to escape from a parallel parking job.

"Um… sweetheart, I think it's dead already." He approached her.

"Great! Just great!" She exclaimed attempting to keep her emotions in check as to not bust out in tears in front of a complete stranger.

"Do you have a spare?" Eliot asked the woman.

"I don't know; it's a rental, just picked it up. I guess I'm not getting my deposit back." She explained with an American accent; if he had to guess it would be the North Eastern region, but not heavy.

"Mind if I check?" He asked stepping towards the trunk with a flirtatious smile on his face hoping to ease her frustration.

Achieving what he had intended the woman looked up and smiled back at him pushing the button on the key to release the lock on the trunk. She was stunning; looked to be in her early-mid thirties with long wavy blonde hair, deep sapphire eyes, and gorgeous smile. He took a couple extra seconds to enjoy the view before digging into the trunk to find the spare.

"Well, look at that; guess I'm the moron." She stated.

"I wouldn't say that." Eliot replied hoisting it out for her. "Once we get this baby on there's an auto repair store about a mile and a half down the road."

"We?" She asked him.

"Or me…" He responded, not sure of the correct answer on this one.

"No; I don't want you thinking I can't handle changing a tire by myself."

"Oh; no, of course not, but truth be told I've kinda been feeling useless lately so you'd be doing me a favor if you allowed me to assist." He insisted not wanting to offend her.

"Well, in that case…" She handed him the jack. "I'm Stella."

"Nice to meet you Stella." He kissed her hand before he got car grease all over his. "Eliot."

After the introduction Eliot focused his energy on changing the tire on the car as Stella handed him supplies.

"What are you doing in England?" He asked her.

"A couple of my friends decided that we should come out over the holiday weekend to 'celebrate'."

"Holiday?" Eliot questioned realizing he was completely unaware of what day or even month it was at the moment.

"Yeah; today Good Friday, Easter on Sunday."

"Oh yeah. Of course." He played it off as if he forgot. "So, why celebrate it here?"

"Actually, it's more about celebrating my divorce. The timing just worked out because the ex has my daughter for the week."

"I'm… oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be; he was kind of a douche. I should have known that a long time ago, but he's Lucy's father and I… I held out hopes it could work. I wanted it…"

"It rarely turns out how we want." Eliot sympathized.

"How about you? Any children."

"No." Eliot shook his head.

"You don't like…?"

"It's not that. I like… love kids, I just… It wouldn't work out, my life…" He stuttered.

"What do you do? I mean, besides rescue damsels in distress?"

"No; that's about it." He smiled.

"Oh really? What kind of pay are you looking at for that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Better than you'd think." Eliot responded vaguely. "Although it's the benefits that are unsurpassed."

Stella chuckled. "I suppose it's better than the few personal days and floater holidays I get as a dermatologist?"

Eliot shrugged; he wanted to tell her there was nothing wrong with a stable job that could give her child a safe and happy life. That was something he'd never be able to do.

"That'll do it." He handed over the wrench. "Just take this road until you get to the light and take a right, it'll be on the left."

"Thank you, Eliot."

"Don't forget, they drive on the other side of the road here. It takes a little getting used to."

"Eliot…" She stopped him before he walked away. "I, um… was hoping I could make this up to you."

"Don't worry about it, hun. It's what I do."

"Yeah, but, I'd like to offer at least some coffee… while I'm waiting for the tire to be fixed."

Eliot nodded. He couldn't deny the little pout. "Okay, yeah, coffee sounds good. Do you want me to drive, or…?"

"Maybe it's better that you did." She answered with a grin. He held the passenger's door open for her before coming around to sit behind the wheel and pulling the vehicle out of park.


	93. Chapter 93

"Where did E go?" Hardison looked around watching the others finish breakfast.

"Sophie yelled at him for having fun so he took off." Parker explained.

"I did not!" Sophie defended herself as Hardison watched the bi-play trying to distinguish what really happened.

"You did too." Parker argued.

"No; first of all there was no yelling…"

"Really? 'Stop it before someone gets hurt!'" Parker mocked in a butchered English accent.

"I do not sound like that, do I sound like that?" Sophie turned to Nate who put his hands up in submission. He did not want to be in the middle of that conversation. "Parker, I think we can all agree that if he keeps pushing his limits he's just going to get worse."

"He did some bicep curls." Parker responded.

"And for all we know he's outside on a jog right now." Sophie argued.

"Because you pushed him out there!"

"Whoa, hold up, here." Hardison stopped them both. "E has another hissy fit and you just let him walk out the door again? Damn that boy needs to major anger management, or somethin'."

"He's dealing, okay?" Nate responded as the hacker put the blame on him.

"Dealing with what?" Hardison questioned.

"Not everyone can sit around inside all day staring at a computer screen." Nate explained the most he was willing to. "All of you are free to walk out this door anytime you want to."

"Really?" Parker picked up her sweatshirt and headed towards the door.

"Not to go and track down Eliot." Nate specified.

"It's been almost an hour." The thief pointed out.

"Yeah, and if we don't hear from him in a couple more maybe we can talk about putting a trace on his phone, but as it is, let him be."

"Nate, what if…" Sophie started to object.

"Let. Him. Be." Nate stated clearly.

"Fine." Parker pouted. "I'm still going out."

XXXXX

"You never said what you were doing in London." Stella pointed out over coffee. "Or is this where you keep your Batcave to scan for distraught women?"

Eliot smiled as he chuckled. "Is that what you consider yourself?"

"You know, your eye twinkles when you do that." She observed.

"I, ah…." His voiced dragged not certain how to respond to that, but suddenly hyper aware of his facial reactions. "I um… here… visiting a friend. No Batcave."

"Don't tell me I'm keeping you from your visit?"

"No." Eliot shook his head assuredly. "I mean, I see her all the time; we were just fixing up her summer house and then heading back together."

"Oh, it's a… it's a…"

"Her." He answered for her shaking his head as if it was unfathomable that there could be anything between them, maybe the thought crossed his mind at one point, but definitely not now. "She's like a big sister, _acting more like a mom_." Eliot muttered the last part.

"I didn't mean for it to come out like that, I mean I… we… where are you from?"

"All over; born in Dallas, moved through South Carolina, Mississippi and Oklahoma all before I hit the fifth grade. It wasn't until high school that I actually settled in Kentucky for awhile."

"So this John Wayne chivalrous cowboy thing you got going on is the real deal?"

"The genuine thing." He smiled. "Although Wayne was actually from Iowa."

"Was he? Shows you what this Jersey girl knows."

"Jersey?"

"Hey, before you say anything…"

"I wasn't gonna say a thing." He held his hands out in submission.

"Once you get past the Jersey Shore media nightmare it's actually a decent place to raise a family." Stella explained.

"I believe you." He held onto her hand. "I mean, it's still one of those dinky little states with too many people and not enough room to breathe."

"Did you just say dinky?" She asked him mockingly.

"I believe I did, why? What would you call it?"

"Small, minute; I don't know, just because Texas could be its own country doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with the size of New Jersey."

"You know, you have your own gleam, too." He responded looking into her eyes.

"I feel like it's been a long time since that's been there." She was aware that this was a one time deal; she'd probably never see this guy again, but it was nice to know she could feel this way. She glanced down at her cell to see a text pop up from her friend asking where she was.

"The tire is probably ready." Eliot responded.

"Yeah, if you need me to drop you off…"

"I can walk." He responded.

"Eliot…"

"It's okay, it's not…"

"I was wondering if you're not busy tonight, maybe… my friends were talking about catching a show at the Globe, I could pick you up…"

"No." He interrupted.

"Oh. I understand…"

Eliot chuckled. "I don't think you do. I would be honored, but um… I would prefer to pick you up and take you to dinner before meeting up at the theatre?"

"That sounds great." She responded before jotting down the contact information.


	94. Chapter 94

Sophie sat in the study looking out the window at the drizzling grey sky. She couldn't keep her thoughts from returning to Eliot being out there with severely compromised lungs.

"Can I come in?" Nate questioned from outside the door.

Sophie offered a shrug in response.

"Are you still mad at me?"

She shook her head no. "I'm not mad. Parker; she um… took the car out."

"She went to find him." Nate responded. He knew, even after she was told explicitly not to, that was exactly what she was going to do.

"You were right." Sophie responded.

"Say that again." Nate smiled.

"I'm pushing too hard. I hoped that if I gave a little he would offer some in return, you know what he did instead? He got all protective of me. He listened… and the thought of one of his teammates being hurt just set off that instinct." She asked rhetorically, answering the question before giving him the chance to engage. "When I set my sites on a mark it rarely takes but a couple of prods to turn them into an open book. Most people want to talk about themselves; they're killing for that spotlight, that audience that will sit there and them let go on. I'm good at giving that to them."

"Good? You're the best." Nate complimented her. "Only, Eliot doesn't want the spotlight."

"I know. He feels guilty. Whatever happened it's on his shoulders. He's only here because he feels it's his duty to protect others; he doesn't think he deserves anything in return."

"He told you this?" Nate questioned.

Sophie shook her head. "He didn't have to."

"Well, for whatever reason, his will to live is strong enough. If it wasn't, he wouldn't have gotten this far. It's not just us, either, or else he would have been long gone before this team ever formed." Nate reminded her.

"I'm aware of that." She nodded. "Or is that your way of telling me to stop worrying?"

"What do you think?" He prompted her to 'read him'. "I have Hardison booking tickets for tomorrow morning. I think for his sake, and yours, it'd be best if Eliot and I took a separate flight from the rest of you."

"Nate…"

"He does better when he doesn't have to put on a show." He interrupted her.

"Okay, fine." Sophie conceded. "But you get to be the one to explain it to Parker."

"Thanks." He whispered. "Sophie, when we get back, what happens to whatever we've… become…?"

"I don't know." She answered honestly.

XXXXX

Eliot walked Stella to her car giving her directions to her friends' hotel before watching the woman drive away. Once he was sure she was heading the right way he glanced over at Parker who was waving at him from their rental. Eliot walked over as his head shook opening the passenger's door.

"You following me now?"

"Who was that?" She ignored his accusation.

"None of your business." He went to shut the door still standing outside.

"Eliot, come on, get inside!"

"I'll walk." He insisted annoyed by the lack of personal boundaries.

"Please! It's about 45 degrees and looks like it's about to downpour. Being out there is not going help…" She watched his expression change, and instead of reiterating his physical condition she went for the pout instead. "For me?"

Eliot audibly huffed, displaying his discontent before climbing into the seat. "How did you find me? Nate's idea or your own?"

"Don't blame Nate. He was very clear that we were to leave you alone." She explained with the implication that this was all her.

"How far out the door did I get before you started following me?" He asked; irritated at himself for not noticing it.

"I didn't follow you, I… _tracked_." She whispered.

Eliot glanced over questioningly before digging into the pockets of his hooded sweatshirt. "What the hell!" He pulled out what looked to be a tiny computer chip.

"Hardison doesn't know that I found it; he had it stuck in my shoe." Parker explained.

"And you just thought you'd use it… how did it even get…?" He pointed to his pocket.

"I stuck it in your pocket while you were finishing breakfast. I kind of figured you would take off after." Parker admitted to knowing him better than anyone thought she did. "I had the tracking software downloaded onto my smart phone. Hardison doesn't think I'm listening when he rambles."

For the first time since Parker pulled up Eliot smiled. "I don't think there's a one of us that doubts your ability when you're motivated enough. I do appreciate you giving me some time before tracking me down."

"You're welcome." She grumbled; she hated every minute of it. "So, who was the girl? An old friend you met up with?"

Eliot shook his head. "Just met her."

"Oh, 'cause it looked like…"

"We're going to go out later."

"Oh." She responded disheartened. "Like… a girlfriend?"

"What?"

"I mean, are you planning on seeing her… more, when…?" She asked awkwardly.

"Am I going to get serious with her?" Eliot questioned.

Besides the admitted past relationship with Aimee, Parker hadn't been aware of any committed relationships Eliot had been in. She hadn't even known for sure if he had been out on dates; the hitter had a way of keeping his private life, private. She assumed there more happened with Raquel after that case closed, and there was definite sparks between him and Kaye Lynn. He never did implicitly reveal the contents of the review of his performance, but it was obvious that hers was more than just another job for him.

"No; Parker, after tonight I'll never see her again."

"Why?" Parker asked him.

"That's the way it should be; it has to be. For her and her daughter… she's sweet, intelligent, and damn beautiful. It's nice to be out with someone and feel… I don't know, normal, but it's a lie. Everything I told her about who I am… it's a… con."

"Then why not just tell her the truth?"

"There's no point in putting her life in danger; not for one evening."

"You know, you could always find someone you could tell the truth too." Parker spoke softly.

"Like who?" He asked staring out the window as they pulled into the driveway of the safe house.


	95. Chapter 95

"Well… thanks for not killing me on the ride back." Eliot opened the door. There was always a silent prayer that occurred whenever Parker was behind the wheel.

"Nah, I'll leave you to do that yourself." She poked fun at him.

"Parker, I…"

"Hey, Sparky, it's a joke. Relax." She responded watching him tense up trying to come up with a response.

He grumbled something before getting out of the car and making his way to the front door.

'Someone like me.' She whispered to herself. Parker didn't like thinking; it tended to slow her down and second guess her initial instincts, which were, more often than not, right. Her reasoning to the outside world may appear convoluted, but there was no doubt she was great at what she did. What she liked most about working with this team, aside from the built in family unit that she had never had, was that Nate did all the thinking for her. With that said, she had to wonder if part of the hold up in making a move with Hardison was because something else was standing right in front of her.

She liked Hardison, a lot, and she couldn't deny that there was something when they kissed; something that she didn't quite understand. It would be easy, he had literally told her that he'd be there waiting when she was ready. She also knew that Eliot saw her as nothing more than his crazy little sister; someone he would lay down his life to defend, and beat the crap out of someone over if they harmed a hair on her head, but still a member of the family that was off limits. All of this had her wondering why she was thinking about it now, and why she felt a twinge of something when she found the hitter smiling at a blonde that wasn't her.

"Are you coming?" Eliot yelled back at her still seated in the car.

Parker nodded before turning off the ignition.

"'Bout time your pale ass got back. Surprised to see you not marching through here like a drowned rat." Hardison commented as he continued typing.

"Yeah, well…" Eliot mumbled. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Window or aisle?" Hardison threw back at him.

"Huh?"

"For the flight home; the one you put a rush order on." Hardison clarified.

"Oh." He responded wondering just how much of a rush the rush order was getting now. "Wha… when are we flying out?"

"Tomorrow morning soon enough for ya? You're not going to throw another hissy fit and walk out the door, are you?"

"No, tomorrow is fine." Eliot smirked as he shook his head.

"Of course it is; wait. What do you means it's… what aren't you telling me?"

"Eliot has a date." Parker announced for him.

"Parker!" Eliot yelled at her.

"What?"

"Yo, you mean she's right?" Hardison questioned. "Dude, how do you do that? Go out for a couple hours and come back with a hot new number?"

"It's not really all that difficult. Of course, you would first need to take a step into the fresh air, and we know how complicated that can be…"

"Hey man, allergies." Hardison defended himself.

Eliot raised his eyebrows and sarcastically replied. "Ah huh."

"So, is she hot?" Hardison dismissed the sarcasm.

"Oh yeah." Eliot remarked.

"Warm." Parker responded crashing down onto the loveseat. Both men shrugged off the comment and continued conversing.

"Hey, you're back." Sophie observed walking into the room with Nate following behind. They had heard the car pull up and gave some time for Eliot to settle before rushing in.

"Yeah." He nodded not sure how to approach the subject delicately.

"Um… we okay?" She asked him.

"Sure." He shrugged. "Actually I could use your help with something."

"What kind of something?" Sophie asked intrigued.

"While out I kind of met somebody…"

"He has a date." Parker repeated. She wasn't sure why it came out, but she found she often had that problem with just randomly blurting things out that she wasn't fully able to process herself.

Eliot sighed. "Interestingly enough, I don't have anything in my duffle bag for a night out at the theatre. Would you care to go out with me to pick something up?"

"You're asking Sophie to take you shopping?" Nate questioned getting a nod back in response.

"Yeah, sounds like fun." Sophie's face lit up.

"Why don't you pick something nice up for yourself, too." Nate hinted.

"Dibs on the car." Eliot spoke up as he caught on to what Nate was telling her.


	96. Chapter 96

**I haven't forgotten about this, I swear! Ultra, happy belated birthday! **

xxxxx

Eliot looked out the window of the rental after Sophie had insisted on driving stating that she was more familiar with the route. He didn't mind as long as it meant not to have to go through another round of explanation that seemed to have to occur after every time he lost his temper as of late. He tried holding in his cough, but when it appeared that wasn't working he turned away to mask the sound of it.

"El…" She turned to face him.

"I'm…" He interrupted.

"Fine; I know. That's not… we're here." She explained.

"Oh." He looked up wiping some sweat from his brow.

"You know; if you're not feeling well you could just tell her…"

_'Here it goes,'_ he thought to himself.

"Don't give me that look." She stated as if reading his mind. "I'm trying; I'm trying really hard not to push, but I can't help but care."

"Let's just go inside." Eliot pushed his door open.

"Eliot…"

"It's okay; _we're_ okay." He clarified standing in the doorway.

"Okay." She responded getting up from her seat and following him to the department store. "So what did you tell her about yourself?"

"Oh, you know, the basics; I'm a mercenary who contracts to the highest bidder that has a price on my head in five countries and moonlights as a decent guy."

Sophie shook her head to his sarcasm. "You are a decent guy. One of the most decent guys I've ever met."

Eliot snickered. "Doesn't say much for the company you keep."

"Stop that." She smacked his arm before entering the building and guiding him to the men's department. Eliot went directly to the slacks easily finding a black pair in a comfortable cut. "Aren't you going to try those on?"

Eliot glanced back confused. "No. I know my size."

"Maybe ten pounds ago." She argued.

"I haven't… okay, maybe you're right." He grabbed another size down to try on.

"How about this one?" She held out a buttoned dress shirt.

"Don't do stripes." He responded, unless it was part of a character for a con he was pretty simplistic in taste. Even then it had taken a lot of persuasion from the grifter to wear the duds she had him sporting in Florida.

"Give it a chance." She responded while filing through a display of V-neck cashmere sweaters putting the deep blue one up next to his face. "Ooh, I like it; it brings out your eyes."

"Sophie, I'm not wearing a sweater, certainly not over a button down." He took the garment from her hand and set it down.

"Why not? It'll help bulk you up a little bit." She insisted as tried to keep from expressing her main interest which was protecting him from the chill of an outdoor theatre at night. "Eliot, it'll look nice, I promise. Throw a nice sports coat over it and you're all set. Blue really is your color."

"I'm going to look like I stepped off an Abercrombie ad."

"More like Ralph Lauren; now go." She pushed him in the direction of the fitting rooms with the clothes she picked out in hand eying the women's shoes as she did.

As soon as he faded from view she made her way over grasping the card Nate had given her in her pocket as he promised her their own night out remembering the boots she had lost in the escape. She rifled through the aisle looking for something that caught her eye. The footwear there was nice, but not to the caliber that she was used to purchasing.

"So?" She asked hearing Eliot come up from behind her.

"I guess it wasn't that bad." He shrugged.

"Hey, there was a reason you brought me." She reminded him.

"Yeah; I was worried about the verbal thrashing I'd get if I went shopping without offering." Eliot joked.

"Oh, is that it?" She questioned, moving on to the dresses as he followed.

Eliot nodded. "Mainly."

"What is she like?" Sophie changed the subject which caught him off guard. "Your date; what is she… could it be serious?"

"You're the second person to ask me that." Eliot responded thinking back to the awkward conversation with Parker in the car. "No; it's not serious, it's… she's beautiful, and smart, charming… but…"

"So girlfriend material." She surmised.

"No…"

"If you were willing to give your heart away." Sophie interrupted him, fully aware that he wasn't.

"What heart?" He demeaned himself.

"I really wish you'd stop doing that."

"It's nothing; it's one night of putting this costume on and possibly feeling like a normal human being."

"So that's what you want? To feel normal?"

"Don't we all? Even Parker… but for her being around us makes her feel less like an outsider."

"Whereas for you this warped version of a family reminds you of everything you lost." She conjectured.

"I wouldn't say it like that. By the way, you should pick that one." Eliot pointed at the dress that she had her hand on.

"How would you say it?" She asked before examining his choice, impressed in his taste.

"All I am saying is that I could use a night out with someone that's not going to ask me how I'm feeling every five minutes." He ended the conversation. Sophie got the hint and decided to drag him to a couple more stores for accessories before heading back to the safe house.


	97. Chapter 97

"Can I wake him up now?" Parker asked Sophie impatiently. After getting back Eliot had a slight bite to eat before returning to the master bedroom to get a couple of hours of rest prior to his night out.

"Give him another twenty minutes. If he doesn't get up on his own you can wake him up." Sophie promised.

"I still don't get how he does that." Hardison shook his head. "I mean, I suppose if you get past the girly hair and the fact that he's 4 foot nothin' then I guess I could see how a lady might find him… he has the husky voice in his favor, but wouldn't all the growling get in the way…?"

Sophie couldn't help but laugh at what she could only describe as jealousy.

"What?" He exclaimed. "The dude is walkin' around with pneumonia. Seriously? How do you not see that?"

"I don't think it's as obvious…" Sophie started as Parker interrupted.

"We didn't."

"What?" Hardison questioned.

"We didn't see it, and we're the closest thing he has to family." She stated. "He had an infection that we never knew about. We let him do his thing, and bust heads; all the while taking for granted the fact that he isn't invincible. We take safety for granted because…"

"Parker…" Sophie stopped her.

"No wonder he would rather spend the evening with a stranger." Parker said quietly.

"That's not why." Sophie attempted to explain. "He's not angry that we took it for granted; he's angry that we no longer will."

"Well that don't make no damn sense." Hardison interjected.

"We all heard him say it." Sophie replied. "He takes the hits so we don't have to. He _wants_ us to think of him as invincible. He's afraid that if we start paying attention to the danger we're going to be thrown off our game in attempts to protect him."

"I could have killed him." Parker responded.

"It's not your fault." Hardison defended her.

"That's what he wants me to believe, too." Parker admitted; she had put the timeline together. She was well aware of her role in the regression of his physical state.

"Somehow he thinks being nice to me will make me feel less guilty."

"Being nice? Eliot knows how to be nice?" Hardison questioned.

"Kind of weird, huh?" Parker questioned. "But also…"

"Nice?" Sophie answered for her.

"Yeah, nice. You know, nice is…. nice."

"Parker, do you…?" Sophie questioned wondering if she could read more into what the thief was giving her.

"No; absolutely, no." The blonde objected.

"When you say he's being nice, you mean what exactly…?" Hardison attempted to prod.

XXXXX

"Hey." Nate just about ran into Eliot in the hall.

"Oh, sorry." Eliot responded groggy as he headed towards the bathroom to wash up. There was a familiar scent on Nate's breath that Eliot knew he should ignore; however, the words slipped out more accusatory then he meant. "You've been drinking."

"Um… I had a drink." Nate answered the accusation.

"Pre date jitters?" Eliot gave him the out.

"Something like that." Nate responded. "Eliot, if I ask you something, can you be honest with me?"

Eliot took a deep breath and leaned against the wall behind him. "Shoot."

"I don't mean to second guess you or tell you what to do…"

"Nate." Eliot interrupted him. "I don't have all night."

"How are you doing? I mean, physically…. Without a one word answer to satisfy curiosity, honestly…?"

He squeezed his hand over the bridge of his nose. "Honestly? I'm sick of hurting." Eliot replied. It had been a sensation that had been going on for months now without reprieve. "The dull ache in the back of my head; fluid pressing against my lungs drawing attention to every breath I take… Only relief I get is a couple of sleep…"

"Until the dreams wake you up." Nate understood. "Have you thought about taking some pain killers?"

Eliot nodded. "All the time; and when I do I go through the process of asking myself if I can function without them. If the answer is yes I get up and carry on with my day."

"If it's no?" Nate questioned.

"I lay back down and hold off for as long as I can." He snickered.

"I suppose that is one way to stave off an addiction." Nate noted the strength in the man that was lost on himself.

"If you can find a better one care to let me know?" Eliot asked him before pushing himself off the wall to proceed to the restroom.

"Wait; one more thing, and this time it is going to sound like I'm telling you what to do."

"What?" Eliot turned back as his hair fell over his eye in almost a menacing fashion.

"Let's just say the hypocrisy is not lost on me, but tonight, with dinner, I'm going to ask that you avoid that glass of wine." Nate hoped it came out more like a request than a demand.

"Are you kidding me?" Eliot shook his head. "Out of all people, you…?"

"I know! Trust me, I know, but it's not just the drinking and driving issue." Nate interrupted. Normally he wouldn't take issue with anyone in his crew having a glass with dinner before getting behind the wheel, not even 90 and some change pound Parker, but with a concussion and antibiotics there was no telling the effect alcohol could have on him. "It's a blood thinner; tomorrow morning you're going to be 100,000 feet in the air over international waters. If you start to bleed there's nothing we can do to stop it."

"I know." Eliot shook his head before walking off.

"Eliot…" He called out when he didn't get the answer he wanted.

"What happened to stop worrying?" Sophie asked Nate as she spied from the top of the steps.

"That's different." Nate responded.

"How?" She asked him, half laughing.

"I don't know, it just is." He shook his head. "We should get ready limo is going to be here in an hour."

"Limo?" Sophie questioned; impressed.

"Well, yeah. Eliot called the car, so…"

"So you got us a limo."

"Yeah, but it's the pay by the hour kind so do whatever women do that takes hours to step out the door."

"Oh, you gonna play cheapskate on me now?" She teased before doing as requested and taking over the downstairs restroom.

_'Cheapskate?'_ He asked himself. _'Didn't I just pay for a replacement pair of boots?'_

xxxxxx

**Okay, so I swear next chapter will be the dates. **


	98. Chapter 98

Eliot followed the directions around the back of the hotel in front of the room she was staying in with her friends. They had rented out a two room adjoined suite.

"You must be Eliot." A brunette came up to the car to greet him.

"I must." He responded. "Is Stella…?"

"She's finishing up. Come inside and we can get some water for those." She pointed at the bouquet he had gotten for the blonde beauty. He grabbed the arrangement before stepping out of the car following the girl inside. "I'm Nora."

"Sister?" Eliot questioned noting some physical similarities.

"Yeah; how did you…? Nobody guesses that." Nora responded to which the hitter just shrugged away his typical 'it's distinctive.' "Well, anyway, this is Carly and Shannon."

"Nice to meet all of you." He charmed.

"She wasn't kidding he was a looker." Carly whispered over to Shannon.

"No shit; when she said Eliot I was expecting something more along the lines of that architect she was dating… what was his name?" The other whispered back as Nora took Eliot aside to place the flowers in water after dumping out the arrangement that was provided by the hotel staff.

"So, what is it that you do again?" Nora asked Eliot; she hadn't gotten a clear answer from her sister.

"It's actually pretty boring to talk about. My work primarily consists of authenticating priceless artwork." He lied trying to dig out a character from his repertoire.

"That sounds fantastic; I suppose that means you've traveled a lot."

"I have." He affirmed.

"Have you ever been to Italy; I've always wanted…" As Nora continued to ramble Eliot turned to see Stella step out of her room in a classic example of the 'little black dress' that showcased the length of her legs.

"Wow." He unconsciously breathed out.

"I could say the same thing." She smirked.

"Are you ready?" He asked taking a single iris from the arrangement and handing it to her after assisting her with her coat.

"I am now." She replied.

"You two have fun!" Shannon shouted at them when they were out of distance to respond back. Eliot opened the passenger's door for her.

"Art expert?" She asked him having overheard the conversation.

Eliot snickered. "I didn't want you thinking I was a total dweeb before proving my physical prowess first."

"Why would I think…?"

"My name is Eliot." He interrupted her.

"Okay…" She conceded. "I don't, you know, think of you as… if anything I'd go with well rounded; I like that."

Eliot smirked as he drove her to a French restaurant that he hoped would impress her just as much. There was something about making sure that she had a good time that was important to him; maybe it was because he knew he could only give so much or that he didn't want to feel like he was betraying her in anyway by lying to her, but he wanted her to get something positive out of the experience even if all she got was renewed faith in the male gender.

"How did you get a reservation here?" She asked as they pulled up to their destination.

"I know people that know people." He responded vaguely.

"I'd say." Her eyes widened.

XXXXX

"I wonder what they're doing." Parker pondered mindlessly throwing cereal into her mouth as she sat with Hardison watching a movie on the couch.

"Probably getting their grove on in the back of the limo." Hardison expressed to which Parker gave a very confused and almost appalled glance.

"What limo?"

"The one that Nate had me order. You were talking about Nate and Sophie…" He prodded.

"Of course. Of course. Who else would I be…? I mean, we know Eliot was doing dinner and show, why would I… oooh, I like this part."

"This is nice." Hardison stated as he put his hand on Parker's knee. "You know, quiet. A little less chaotic; getting back to the way things should be."

"Yeah." The thief nodded. "Did you want some soda?"

"No." He pulled his hand away. "No; I'm good, but I could get you some if you're thirsty."

Parker nodded to the prompt.

"Yeah, okay." He stood up; point clearly taken.

XXXXX

"Do you remember the first time we were here?" Sophie asked snuggling into Nate as the limo passed over the London Bridge.

"Of course I do." He smiled back.

"Wasn't it romantic?"

"Romantic?" Nate chuckled. "You call me fumbling after you over a 270 meter bridge just for you to tear off in your get-away car romantic?"

"Well, I suppose when you put it like that. However, that's not quite how I remember it." She declared.

"Oh really?" He pressed for her interpretation.

"Yeah, really. I recall this mysterious, crystal eyed, avenger of justice chasing me into the street as the clock struck midnight into the new millennium as fireworks went off around us."

"Was that the turn of the century?" He feigned recollection.

"Don't tell me you forgot." She glared back perturbed.

"It's not like I even knew who you were at that point; it was a full year before I got so much as an introduction."

"I swear you can be such a male sometimes." She rolled her eyes causing Nate to snicker as the limo pulled off the road. The driver put it into park before coming around and opening the door for the couple as Nate grabbed two champagne glasses and a bottle. "What are we doing?"

"Trust me." He held out his hand as an offering to follow which she couldn't put resist as he led her to the ledge looking out over the city under the night's sky.

"What are we doing here?" She asked thankful that it seemed the night was holding off the rain.

"Wait for it." He directed pouring liquid into each of the flutes. "And… now."

At the sound of his voice a thunderous bang sounded creating a display of flickering lights overheads. Nate put his arms around her as more fire works followed in what felt like their own private viewing. The sipped champagne as the show continued until its grand finale that lit up the sky. As the dust settled, Sophie turned back to meet his eyes.

"You remembered."

Nate merely smiled before bringing his lips to hers.

"How did you…?" She asked as they briefly parted.

"I stole a pyrotechnic." He whispered.

"You stole?" Sophie questioned for which he nodded as she brought him in for another embrace. "You thief."

xxxxx

**Happy Easter! **


	99. Chapter 99

"This soufflé is to die for!" Stella expressed after she let a bite delivered by Eliot's utensil melt in her mouth.

"That good, huh?" He smiled.

"Oh yeah. Stick a fork in me; I can go happy now."

"That'd be a shame." He held out another spoonful for her.

"Really?" Stella flirted back.

"Yeah, would kind of put a damper on this beautiful night."

"We can't have that." She played along.

"No." He shook his head before grinning.

"Don't you like the wine?" Stella's attention caught the barely sipped on wine taster sitting in front of her date.

Eliot shrugged. "More of an ale guy. You ever find out which show we're going to?"

"Yeah; Macbeth. According to Carly there's nothing like it. She went a couple years ago during a storm. Apparently you can't get a better back drop than thunder clashing during the 'double, double, toil and trouble' scene."

"I can imagine. Although… call me a baby, but I think I can forgo the special effects if it means the weather holds out." Eliot admitted.

"You really are a Southern boy, aren't ya?" She teased him.

"Hell yeah. Southern, summer baby. I'm allergic to the cold."

"Is that right? I suppose it's up to me, then, to make sure you stay warm." She rested her hand over the palm he had set on the table. His fingers curled over in a grasp. "Are you familiar with the story?" She asked meaning to propel the conversation.

"Sure; the Shakespearean tragedy warning of the destruction to the human soul that accompanies uninhibited ambition." He summarized; having witnessed more of that in his lifetime then he'd ever care to discuss. "'… for mine own good; All causes should give way. I am in blood; Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o'er.' Just a little light reading… in eleventh grade English."

"Wow." She replied back impressed. "And here I was going to quote some 'out damned spot.' You know what I find really impressive, though?"

"What?" He questioned suspiciously.

"Besides being one of the only guys I've gone out with that has the mentally acuity to comprehend Shakespeare's content, you're also the first to interpret more than a 'women are the root of all evil' message from it."

Eliot chuckled. "Well, I mean, there is that."

"And you were doing so well." She shook her head with a smile.

"More soufflé?" He suggested a peace offering in a manner that would make Sophie proud.

"Now that's just not fair." She took the bait.

XXXXX

"Where do we go from here?" Sophie questioned after parting for a much needed breath of air.

"Anywhere you want." He offered her.

"Anywhere? How about Tuscany?" Sophie suggested.

Nate let out a sigh. "Tell you what? If we survive nursing Eliot back to health and putting this Moreau business behind us then I will treat you to a month long vacation in Tuscany."

"That's a lot of ifs." Sophie looked crushed.

"Yeah." Nate left it; not sure what else he could currently offer her as an alternative.

"Maybe we should just head back to get a decent night of sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day for you."

Nate didn't need to look at his watch to know it wasn't much after nine pm. There was no way he was getting that old. "Or…"

"Or what?" Sophie asked intrigued by the alternative.

"Or we can rent out a room and order some room service." Nate pointed out the London Bridge Hotel down the street.

"I um… I thought you were keeping track of the pay by the hour thing." She teased him.

"That's before I saw you in this dress." Nate explained thinking to himself that now all he wanted was to see her out of it. "You in?"

Sophie's eyes lit up. "Can we order some toffee?"

"Toffee?" Nate questioned; with a whole pallet to chose from he was astonished that was her choice. "Yeah; I think we can manage that."

"And strawberries with whipped crème…" She continued.

Now that was the Sophie he knew and loved. _Loved? Was he ready to admit that to himself? _He decided to leave the thought alone knowing that over thinking it now would ruin the evening.

"So…?" She asked not realizing he tuned her out after the first sentence.

"Sure."

"I love you." She kissed his cheek before dragging him to the limo. There was something about that evening that brought out that 'first date with my teenage crush' feeling out of her. Yet as casual as she made the statement sound it was anything but; however, she wasn't going to allow his lack of response to spoil her high.


	100. Chapter 100

**I figured with it being the 100****th**** chapter I had to give you something good. Maybe some answers, please don't hate me!**

xxxxxx

When the curtain call ended the audience was left standing, one by one the applause dwindling down as Stella looked over her right shoulder.

"Are you shivering?" She asked him as she glanced over.

Eliot had hoped that he'd be able to get her home without her noticing that. "Told ya I was allergic to the cold." He smirked.

"Well, in that case…" Stella wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself close against his chest; whispering into his ear. "Better?"

"Much." He held onto her caressing the nape of her neck watching as the crowd started filtering out to their vehicles.

"I think…" she started. "I think this is going to go down as my favorite part of the evening."

"Oh?" He asked, prompting her for the explanation.

"Everything after this is just going to sound like goodbye." She responded.

Eliot nodded slightly; he didn't want to prove her right, but he also knew he couldn't prove her wrong. Instead he tilted her neck back gently pressing his lips against hers as time stood still in what would definitely go down as her favorite portion of the evening.

It was the burning sensation at the base of his lungs threatening to send him into a coughing fit which eventually pulled them apart. The pair parted as each caught breath. Once she did so Stella looked across the theatre to where her sister/friends were standing giving her the thumbs up sign as she tried waving them to leave.

"We, um… should probably warm the car up." Stella broke the silence as it seemed everything around them vanished in those moments.

"Yeah." Eliot followed her prompt. He walked her out of the illustrious theatre with his hand pressed against the small of her back until they reached the rental.

He turned the heater up and the radio on low in attempt to keep her from noticing his teeth chattering.

"I love this song; mind if I turn it up?" Stella asked him.

"Huh?" He blinked his attention back. "Yeah, sure. This good?" He asked turning the volume key for her.

…She said "I'm tired of living life in a romance book  
I think chivalry's dead  
And I ain't gonna look  
For them roundtable boys on the white horse  
That can't get the story right."

I said "as luck would have it  
I was tossed by the throne  
I let my Maryanne down  
Some years ago  
And I traded my coat of arms  
For a guitar and some broken yellow lines."

But I got a paint outside with enough giddyup  
To be free  
I got a faint smell of cheap perfume  
And a hint of gasoline  
See I'm a different kind of knight  
You're gonna find your fairy tales are lies  
I don't have a white horse  
But you can come along for the ride…

"You're a fan of country?" He asked a tad bit surprised.

"Only the good stuff." She responded. "Otherwise I'll admit that I'm more of a sucker for Guns N' Roses."

"Did your ex have a mullet?" He teased her.

"No!" She laughed. "Why would you…?"

Eliot shrugged. "Just a hunch." He grinned. "So, the good stuff?"

"Well, I'll admit that when it's not all depressing, there's something… honest… about country music."

"You're not searching for your Prince Charming?"

"Searching? Have you read those tales? It's more like laying in wait." She responded. "No; I have no illusions of that, but it is nice to be proven that there are still some good guys left."

"That ex did a number on you." Eliot commented.

"Maybe; it's not as though I haven't trampled on a heart or two." Stella admitted. "But thank you…"

"Don't." He stopped her. "I'm not… I'm not some white knight."

"No; no, you're that different kind." She responded just as he pulled up to the hotel.

Eliot smiled slightly. "I guess I can handle that."

"So, this is…?" She asked unbuckling the seatbelt as he started to maneuver out of the vehicle.

"Yeah, I, um… am leaving the country tomorrow."

"Oh." Stella responded; she wanted to express more, but that was the only thing that came to mind. He followed her in front of the car and held onto her hands before pulling into a final kiss that neither wanted to release from. Stella started to walk towards the sliding door of her suite which held an attentive audience of three very engrossed women before turning over her shoulder. "Eliot, I had a great time. Thank you! And whether you believe it or not; you are one of the good guys."

"And whether you believe it or not; you deserve better." He responded before returning to his seat watching her close the door behind her before shifting the gear into reverse.

Pulling into the street the first drop of rain hit his window shield. He thanked the force that controlled the heavens for holding off this far as he let the wiper blades clear the view before him letting his mind trickle into thought. As always he hoped that his presence in someone else life didn't do irreparable harm. It had been a long time before joining forces with Nate's team that he felt that he had the capacity to leave a positive mark in someone's life; he liked that feeling.

He settled into the drive by allowing the GPS do the work of remembering which roads to take back to the safe house as he realized that his system was starting to protest how late he was allowing himself to stay out. Eliot opened the window just enough to allow the back splash to hit his face and keep his eyes open while turning up the radio.

When I woke up this morning  
Wiped the sleep from my eyes  
Found a new day dawning  
And suddenly I realize  
You're gone

"_You're a good man, Elle. Whatever you do, don't forget that." She approached him with a hug while looking back at the jet about to take him to the other side of the world to fight another countries war. "I love you!"_

_ "I love you, too." He responded with a hug of his own._

_ "Remember…!"_

_ Eliot offered a salute in response. _

Tell me I was dreaming  
That you didn't leave me here to cry  
You didn't say you don't love me anymore  
And it was just my imagination telling lies  
Tell me that you didn't say goodbye

"_I don't think you understand, Mr. Spencer, your participation in this matter is non-negotiable."_

_ "What part of 'I ain't doin' it' are you not grasping?" Eliot fired back. He had worked some shady deals with this cat before, but all under the premise that there was no binding contract for service. This stepped over a line that he refused to cross._

_ "You won't say no to me." The voice on the phone threatened._

_ "Or what? You think you're gonna make me? I'd like to see you try." A cocky Eliot responded back. He had been through enough torture in his military career to know there wasn't anything yet conceived to physically break him._

_ "You may just find yourself sorry you ever said that. I expect you to be on the first flight to Indonesia tomorrow."_

_ "Expect to find yourself disappointed." Eliot slammed down his phone._

I'm in a state of confusion  
I hope things aren't what they seem  
If this is really happening  
Just let me go back to dream  
You're home

_He woke up tied to a chair with dried blood crusting his forehead._

_ "Is this your grand plan Gorski? Lock me up in the basement with twine strapped to my wrists. It's gonna take a little more than a headache…"_

_ "Anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?" The man stated as he pulled a chair up in front of the hitter to sit on knowing full well the younger man was attempting to work out the knots from behind. He pulled out a piece of duct tape and secured it over his mouth. "All you had to do was follow one tiny little request."_

_ Eliot struggled feeling some give in the rope._

_ "There is no-one else like you. I really didn't want it to come to this." The man sneered. "But I don't take disappointment well. That makes me angry, and bad things happen when I get angry."_

_ Eliot glared back daring the other man to strike._

_ "You'd like that, wouldn't you? Do you believe I am naïve enough to think there's a person in this room with the capability of physically taking down Eliot Spencer?" The man looked around to the muscle standing behind him before pulling out a cell phone. "Recognize this?"_

_ His eyes widened as Gorski held out his phone. _

_ "Hmm… I wonder what would happen if I pressed this button…" He hit the speed dial before turning the speaker on._

_ "El… Elle, are you there?" A terrified voice picked up the call. "Elle, I don't know what's going on, but there's there's this man here saying that you've gotten yourself into some kind of trouble…"_

_ "Mommy!" He heard a toddler yell in the background._

_ Eliot tried to scream out 'don't' as tears flooded his eyes. _

_ "Oh God!" Was the last thing he heard before the gunshot went off and the call disconnected._

Tell me I was dreaming  
That you didn't leave me here to cry  
You didn't say you don't love me anymore  
And it was just my imagination telling lies  
Tell me that you didn't say goodbye

_He wasn't sure how he had the strength to walk, but something forced him to stand up over the casket a draw a daisy from an arrangement to place over her hand. They were her favorites. As a child she would pick them from their yard and weave the stems into a crown declaring herself princess. He allowed those memories to consume him as he couldn't work up the words to say goodbye. Instead, he stood paralyzed in place suffocated by the sound inconsolable tears behind him._

_ "You did this." The voice wrung out clear amongst the agony. "Look at me!" She demanded._

_ Eliot forced himself to turn into her onslaught of fists into his chest. _

_ "Why?" She kept repeating over and over about to collapse into a puddle before his father stepped in to catch her. As the hysterics died down she stared right through him stating and a hauntingly calm voice "they took the wrong one."_

_ "Ma…" He started to say before being cut off._

_ "For your mother's sake, I think it would be best if you just go."_

Tell me I was dreaming  
That you didn't leave me here to cry  
You didn't say you don't love me anymore  
And it was just my imagination telling lies  
Tell me that you didn't say goodbye

The honk of a horn jolted Eliot into the present as oncoming headlights sped towards him causing a knee jerk reaction slamming on the breaks as he attempted to steer the vehicle back into his own lane.

xxxxxx

**Oh, and just so I'm crediting, the first song is "A Different Kind if Knight" by this band called Kane, you may have heard of them. The second is "Tell Me I Was Dreaming" by Travis Tritt. **


	101. Chapter 101

"What's wrong, mama?" Hardison approached Parker as she stood by the window.

Parker pointed out at the strike of lightening the lit up the sky.

"Hey." He came over to consol her. "You realize the odds of getting killed by lightening are like 1 in two million? You're more likely to die falling outta bed."

"It's not…. Really?" She asked her curiosity peaked.

Hardison nodded. "Now I'd rather not talk about the odds of catastrophic damage to my baby here during a thunder storm." He patted his laptop as he was about to turn it off.

"Hardison…" She responded, her eyes begging. "Can you…?"

"'Can I' what?"

"Would you be able to look up what time the show gets out?" Parker requested.

Hardison was about to say something back with his typically laced sardonic humor, but the look on the usually playful thief expressed that the gesture would go unappreciated. "Sure." He conceded.

Parker stood over his shoulder as he visited the Globes website to search for the spring schedule. According to the schedule it had been forty five minutes since the play ended.

"How much you wanna bet that E is just demonstrating to Stella his version of a nightcap?" Hardison winked at her attempting to lighten the mood.

Parker shook her head no.

"Oh, don't tell me you don't think he's the type to engage in a one-nighter?"

"No; I know. _Trust me_, I know." She furrowed her brows. For some reason Eliot had this tendency to want to tell her about his past exploits whether she wanted to hear it or not. That being said she was fairly certain that he was also the type to go only as far as the lady was expecting to go without waking up with any regrets the day after.

"I'm just saying we have every reason to believe…"

"No." She interrupted him.

"Why not?"

"Broken ribs." She gave him the 'duh' face.

"Please, that stubborn mo fo? All he'd have to do is wrap those suckers up… Oh." Hardison's thoughts caught up with him. If they had learned anything in the past month it was how resistant he was to anyone knowing about his physical strain. All it would take would be his shirt coming off for the truth to be revealed, and he couldn't have that. "… He's okay."

"He should be here." Parker responded.

"He will be." Hardison assured her. "Mama, he will, and he'll be pissed like hell if he finds out that you were worried over nothin'."

"You think I'm…?"

"Sounding a tad like Sophie? Yeah, a little bit." Hardison replied.

"Now that's just mean." She pouted.

"We're gonna have to get used to it." Hardison reminded her, and then continued to her inquisitive gaze. "Not knowing where he is. We're going home tomorrow. Don't think for a moment he's going stand for a babysitter."

"That's why Sophie thinks that we should…" Parker noticed the look of dissatisfaction on his face. "You still don't agree."

"It doesn't matter." He shook his head. "Three against one."

"He needs this."

"Are you certain this is about what _he_ needs?" Hardison questioned still feeling like the venture was to satisfy the girls' curiosity more than anything else.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about this." Parker stated turning her attention back to the window.

XXXXX

Eliot watched as the passing car flew by him as his own went hydroplaning in the wrong direction. He pulled his foot from the pedal waiting for the car to slow down and the wheels to touch pavement before steering it to the side of the road. Once in park Eliot hunched over the steering wheel in attempt to steady his shaken breath. The storm picked up, and rain was flying sidewise into his open window drenching the hitter, but the only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat pulsating through his entire circulatory system.

After almost a decade he was still haunted by the memory as it replied in the same vivid detail as the day it occurred. He thought he had it under control. It had been years since flashes leaked in the waking hours, and never before had it happened while he was behind the wheel of a moving vehicle. Of course, there were days he doubted that would have mattered; he would have welcomed the onslaught as another car left him mangled inside of his own. Except that would mean putting another innocent life in danger; he refused to risk that, and now he had people at home waiting for him to get there worried about his physical safety. He couldn't put them through another bout of emotional turmoil as they waited to see if he was going to be okay.

At that moment the only thing operating was the flight or fight instinct that pulled him off the road, and with that accomplished all he wanted was to curl himself into a corner and let the sound of the storm pounding down drown out everything else. _No_, the voice inside told him. What he really wanted was to go back and change it; save her. Eliot pushed the car door open and let himself spill onto the pavement guiding himself to the curve before bowing his head and silently begging the world to swallow him whole.

Eliot wasn't sure how long he sat stationary in that position, but he was drenched to his bone and had no control over the tremors passing through him. It was everything he could do to pull himself back into the rental, turn the heater on full blast, before inching back onto the road and navigating his way back to the safe house.

He was greeted at the front door by Hardison who caught him as he collapsed forward coughing.

"Parker, dry clothes… towel." He provided support for the hitter. "Now!"

Eliot pushed himself away from the hacker to guide himself to the restroom. It was the metallic taste in his mouth causing the urgency.

"E?" Hardison pounded on the door after it slammed in front of him. "E! Answer me or I am coming in!"

"What's going on?" Parker asked rushing towards him with the clothing in hand.

"Can you open that?" Hardison pointed at the lock.

The thief furrowed her brows. "Seriously?" She asked him, disgusted that he could even ask her that.

"Parker!" He replied agitatedly.

She pulled a clip from her hair and stuck it into the lock popping it open in a half second. Between coughs and gasps Eliot was spitting up bloody phlegm.

"What do we do?" Parker asked the hacker at a pre-panic.

"Call Nate."


	102. Chapter 102

"Where is he?" Nate pushed himself through the door asking in mid stride.

"Bedroom." Hardison pointed. "He's dry, and the coughing seems to be under control… now, like after losing a quart of blood."

"God." Sophie shook her head.

"It wasn't _that_ much." Parker stated sitting cross-legged in the counter.

"And what exactly is '_that_ much'? All I know is that shit is supposed to stay on the inside. Man, I thought we were gonna see a lung pop out or somethin'…"

"How much was it?" Nate turned to grill Parker ignoring the hacker as he ranted. The thief shrugged her shoulders and pointed to Hardison who was in the room with him.

"Don't look at me? I don't know, I mean, I don't think the dude's in need of a transfusion or anything."

"I suppose he's denying anything is wrong." Sophie responded.

"Actually; he's not really saying much of anything. He's pretty out of it." Parker explained. As Sophie stood back with the younger team members Nate left to check on the hitter for himself.

Eliot was curled up on the master bed and for a second Nate could have sworn he saw his little boy. Hardison had managed to get him into dry clothes, but his hair still damp and sweat glistened his forehead. There was a hitch to his breath and the closer Nate got to him he could hear what sounded like purr or rattle from his lungs. He sat on the bed next to a barely conscious Eliot putting the back of his hand to the hitter's cheek and forehead as the others entered the room.

"When was his last dose of antibiotics?" Nate asked the younger thieves.

"He took a dose about ten minutes ago." Parker answered.

"What can we do?" Sophie offered their assistance.

"Um… can I get a thermometer and damp washcloth?" Nate requested watching Parker and Hardison stumble over each other to get it. "And Soph, call the doc."

The grifter nodded her understanding before exiting.

"Easy, El. It's just me." Nate assured the man as he tried batting away Nate's hand that lifted his shirt to examine his chest and ribcage.

"Here." Hardison walked in only seconds after the request was made handing Nate the thermometer. "Parker is grabbing the washcloth."

"You left the wrap on?" Nate questioned.

"The dude was coughing pretty hard, I didn't want… and I didn't know how to get it off…"

"Can you find me a scissor?"

"Yeah, man, anything." He started to move away. "I did the right thing, right? I mean, not calling an amb…"

Nate peaked at the digital read-out. "Minor set back; he'll be okay."

"Minor set back? You call this a minor… really? 'Cause from where I am sitting…"

"Hardison! Scissors."

"Riight, of course, this is me goin'…" He backed off as Nate glared at him.

Nate brushed the sweat off of the younger mans forehead as he waited for Parker to return with the washcloth. Eliot shuddered to the touch as he focused on breathing through the pain that inhibited him from the respite he so desperately needed. Everything in the background was fuzzy; he thought he heard voices but he struggled to discern any valuable information from them.

"Are we giving him a sponge bath?" Parker asked carrying in a bucket of water with a damp cloth thrown over the side.

"Hopefully it doesn't come to that." Nate responded picking up the cloth to dab over the hitters face and neck in order to cool it down.

"If it does can I help?" She asked with a gleam; although she had meant it to sound more for the sake of assistance.

"Sure." Nate sighed.

Parker looked pleased with the answer before commenting further. "I told you."

"Huh?"

"Not afraid of the stove." She explained.

"Parker, we have no idea what happened. He could have gotten caught in the storm on his way out to the vehicle."

"It took forty five minutes to get to the car?" Parker questioned before explaining how she had obtained that information.

"The storm did hit pretty suddenly…"

"Aren't we just a bunch of enablers?" Hardison came back with the scissors. "Do you hear yourself, man? How many excuses are you going to tell yourself before coming to the realization he don't seem to give one lick to what happens to him next?"

"That's not true. Yes, he's struggling, but…"

"But what? Give him the chance to explain how a simple date ended in him coughing up the contents of his left lung? Sure, let's do that. Comeon bro, what happened? Wait, I didn't quite catch that…" He directed the last part at the narrowly unconscious hitter.

"Hardison." Sophie said softly from the open doorway. "Can I have a minute alone with Nate?"

"But I…" Parker started to protest as Sophie requested her exit as well. "Why does Eliot gets to stay?" She mumbled as she walked off.

Hardison was too furious to argue figuring that Sophie had a better chance at getting through to the mastermind. Sophie sat down on the bed next to Nate. "Don said we could increase the dose of the antibiotics. We should try to get him to take them orally, if not I do have some supplies to put him on an IV."

"Anything else?" Nate questioned.

"Stay with him tonight. Watch his breathing; check for signs to indicate further damage to his ribs for a possible lung puncture. The major warning signs will be a blue tint to his lips and fingernails indicating a lack of oxygen and a drop of his core body temperature. He thinks we should get a chest scan as soon as we can."

Nate took in all the information he was given. "Did he say anything about traveling…?"

"God Nate, are you really thinking about that right now?" Sophie questioned in a state that suggested she was exhausted.

"Did you ask him?" Nate prodded.

"It wasn't exactly a priority." The grifter argued back as she dropped an extra dose of pills into Nate's open palm. "But yes, he said that if everything went well tonight, and if he felt up to it in the morning, that would be Eliot's call."

"Okay."

"Nate, we can't keep doing this. Things aren't going to go magically back to normal just because we're in Boston."

"I know." He assured her while coaxing Eliot to sit up far enough to insert the antibiotics into his mouth, sighing in relief as he swallowed.

"That's a start." Sophie responded as she pushed herself off the bed.

"Soph…"

"I'm going to bed." She cut him off. There was so much left to say, but she didn't have the energy to rehash it. "Wake me up if…"

Nate nodded the assurance that the crew would be notified if an ER visit was required.


	103. Chapter 103

Eliot shifted uncomfortably as Nate pressed against his ribcage to test for further damage. Besides swelling there didn't appear to be cause for greater concern; the mastermind then concentrated his efforts into finding a rhythm dusting his forehead to the back of his neck with the washcloth while periodically checking the temperature for any change.

He tried shaking away the voices as they replayed in his head; _"Look, all I'm saying is, is I don't understand why we can't have a couple of days off in-between jobs? We just spent ten days in Juarez." The hitter winced as he brought the fresh ice pack to his throbbing shoulder. "What's the matter? You don't like the piñatas I bought?" Parker asked innocently attempting to dig out the candy from what looked to be a donkey. "Alright listen, no.. no time off, right? We got a lot of work to do. Hardison, run it." Nate dismissed the request. _He tried stopping himself from going back to the day and contemplating where they would be now if he had given Eliot's appeal the consideration it deserved; the consideration Eliot deserved. He hadn't thought twice; Eliot had soldiered on, and undoubtedly kept Hardison alive while they prevented a backwoods militia from hurting innocents with the use of a fertilizer bomb. It was worth it, right? It was important, _"they're all important"_ Eliot's voice echoed; and therein laid the problem.

"He sounds right."

Nate looked behind him to see Parker standing in the doorway, the illumination coming from a small desk lamp beside him. As the medication fought the infection the rattling shifted to a rhythmic growl. "He's sleeping." Nate responded.

"You've done this before." She responded; hinting at the way Nate was aiding the ailing hitter to which Nate merely nodded.

"How about you come stay with him for awhile?" Nate invited her over.

"I don't… I wouldn't…"

"Come on." He urged patting the seat next to him. She slowly inched her way over and allowed Nate to show her what he was doing before handing her the washrag.

"I don't think I can…" Parker tried to hand it back.

"You're fine; I'll be back in a bit to check his temp, but it's going the right direction." Nate assured her.

"Nate, don't…" she started to plead as he walked out the door "go."

He was already in the hall by the time she finished the plea. She was right. He had done that same thing before; too many times before. Nate walked by the study to find Hardison unconscious on the floor before stepping outside onto the front porch. The storm had died down, but raindrops still fell at a soothing pace. He pulled his phone out and reflexively placed a call. He thought about hanging up after hearing the first ring, but she picked up too quickly for that.

"Nate?" Maggie answered. "Nate, is that you?"

"Um… yeah."

"Where have you been? I've been trying to call you. How long has it been since you even checked your email?"

"It's been… I've been busy." Nate answered.

"When are you not? I suppose you've heard about the charges against Sterling? Wait, tell me you didn't have something to do with that?" She gave him a moment to explain. "Nate… is everything okay?"

"Not exactly." He responded suddenly feeling like it was a bad idea making the call.

"Have you been hurt? Are you in trouble?"

"No; no, I'm fine. Eliot's not." Nate explained the situation in as much detail as he was willing to give, which was just about everything but the illegal stuff. "Maggie, I'm sorry to unload this on you, but I don't know what to do and everyone else that I trust is too close to this."

"I um, I don't know what to say." Maggie admitted. She wasn't used to seeing that side of Nathan Ford. He didn't like people seeing him powerless, ever. That was part of what drove them apart. She was also having a hard time wrapping her head around Eliot being so vulnerable. Out of all of the members of Nate's crew he was the one that she had built the greatest attachment to; an affection that went beyond the immediate attraction to the man.

"Are we right to push the issue?" Nate asked her.

"I don't know, maybe. I can only tell you what worked for me. It took some time, but being able to open up and talk about Sam, the good and the bad… it made it easier. I wont lie; there's still days that it's hard to come up with the motivation to get out of bed, but having people to share the experience with… it makes it a little less daunting." She answered honestly. If there was one thing she was grateful for it was the support system of her parents and friends that she had in place, something she knew Nate hadn't.

"It's just so hard to watch him…"

"Spiral out of control and helpless to do anything about it?" Maggie interrupted drawing a certain parallel. "I can't tell you what the solution is, but from the sound of it the only way to repair the physical stuff is by getting to the root of the emotional."

"Thanks." Nate offered, deep down he already knew that, but somehow the confirmation helped.

"You're welcome. I would say to let him know that I'm thinking about him, but it's probably better that you don't."

Nate chuckled. "Probably."

"So let's just keep it at call me if you need anything else and don't wait another month for the update."

"Okay." He agreed.

"I mean it, Nate. I'll never stop caring about you."

Nate offered his own acknowledgement before finishing the call and making his way back to relieve Parker from her post as she looked just moments away from curling up to Eliot and falling asleep herself which he wouldn't have minded if he didn't need a certain heart to heart with the man as he woke.

xxxxxx

**Thanks for the continued reviews; I do appreciate them. It's like opening up my favorite candy bar especially as people report an emotional pull in any which direction. Feel free to PM me with any grammatical errors and I will see to them ASAP; I do try to look over but more often than not read what I should be reading on not what's actually on the paper. In other news, apparently my pre-ordered season three should be coming in the mail tomorrow, yay! I can't wait for season 4 to start, and on my birthday, no less. **


	104. Chapter 104

Nate had sunk back into a chair in the corner of the room listening to the breaths and moans as the hitter slept; he was sure there were a few twenty minute intervals here and there that had been lost but anytime Eliot moved his eyes jolted open in anticipation.

As the fog cleared in Eliot's mind the image around him focused.

"Dontcha ever sleep anymore?" Eliot grumbled, trying to come out stronger with scratched vocal cords.

"About 90 minutes a day." Nate quipped giving the hitter a half smile.

A chuckle from Eliot forced out a cough.

Nate pointed out the pills and water sitting next to the man on the nightstand. "Doc upped the dose." Nate explained.

Eliot obediently grabbed the pills and washed them down with a refreshingly cold glass of water before propping himself up further and starting to swing his legs off the side of the mattress.

"What are you doing?" Nate asked him.

Eliot glanced to the clock as if it were obvious. "Getting my stuff together."

"Eliot, we're not going anywh…"

"Nate." Eliot cut up off with a ferocious glare.

"We're not going anywhere…" Nate repeated, "until you tell me what happened last night."

"Nothin'." Eliot shrugged bringing his feet down to the floor. Nate sat unmoving.

"Nothing?" Nate questioned with an accusatory glance.

"Got caught in the rain." The hitter offered a little more hoping it would help.

"How?"

"It was an outdoor theatre." Eliot answered vaguely.

"That let out forty five minutes before the storm began." Nate responded with the piece of information Hardison and Parker had provided for him. Eliot starred back at the mastermind in what would have been an awkward silence for anyone else; instead he was trying to work through as much as he could give Nate without fully implicating himself.

"Don't think I'm going to buy you took your date on a midnight walk." Nate crushed any chance of a lie he was hoping to give. Eliot sat longer in that silence. "Just tell me the truth, El. What happened?"

"I was tired." Eliot admitted. "After dropping Stella off I rolled the window down to keep myself awake when it started pouring."

"How tired?" Nate prodded.

"Enough that I felt myself start to drift off and pulled off to the side of the road. I had to get up for a bit."

"So you ventured into the thunder storm with pneumonia? Why didn't you just call someone?" Nate questioned in concern. "Is it that ingrained in you to resist help that you can't pick up a damn phone?"

"I wasn't thinking." Eliot covered. "I know; I know I messed up, _again_, but I'm fine. There's no reason to put off this flight."

"There isn't?" Nate could think of a few; the first of which was Eliot being able to disappear without the team being able to find him. Of course, there was always that possibility anywhere, but at least at the safe house they had an indication of when he took off. There wasn't that guarantee when he moved back to his own place.

"No; there isn't." Eliot stood up, done with the conversation. Nate knew there was more hidden behind the explanation, but he was caught in that ever present fix between accepting the hint of vulnerability that Eliot was willing to give him and reaching for more with the fear of driving him off. It was obvious the strategy had to change, because what he had been doing wasn't working, but he was still left with the fact that Eliot _had_ come back; he _had_ allowed the team to comfort him.

"Okay." Nate forfeited over his rook as he slid into check.

xxxxx

**I do apologize for the length of this chapter, but comeon, two chapters in like two days, can't complain too much, right? Anyway, according to Nate, the game is on! **

**Um… I have now officially watched the commentary for all of season 3! Good stuff, won't spoil except to say that I was overjoyed when I heard the EP (I believe it was John Rogers, I don't remember anymore) make the exact same X-Men references as I do! And I'm not just talking Wolverine, everyone calls Eliot Wolverine, hell, they call Christian Wolverine, but um… Parker as Kitty Pride, hehe!**


	105. Chapter 105

"Eliot?" Sophie asked Nate listening to the water fall from the shower outside the bathroom door.

Nate nodded as he took another sip from his coffee mug.

"Is it safe to assume that travel plans are moving along as scheduled?"

"Why wouldn't they be? It's not like anything _happened_ last night to _change_ that." Nate responded with a venomous sarcasm aimed at the door behind the grifter.

"You got nothing?" Sophie figured.

"Nada." Nate confirmed. "Unless you count lying through his teeth?"

"Was it at least a convincing lie?" She prodded. "Could he at least give us that much consideration? I mean, we're conmen for Christ sake, we do this kind of thing for a living."

Nate smiled slightly. "He said he was tired and needed to get up to keep him from drifting off, and too stubborn to call anyone for help."

"Well, I buy that last part." She admitted to which Nate gave a supportive nod. "So? Now what?"

"We do it." Nate responded. "As discussed."

"Are you sure?" She asked knowing that he had been struggling to make that call.

"We don't have a choice. If we don't do this; we _will_ lose him." Nate admitted feeling sick to his stomach at just the prospect of that happening. It didn't take someone with the brain capacity of that of Nathan Ford to connect the dots as to what actually went down. He may not have wanted to admit it the night before, but he knew. He knew that the control their hitter grasped so tightly to maintain slipped, if only for a moment and that moment could have killed him.

"What if it doesn't work?" She asked suddenly feeling less than confident at what might be a last ditch effort.

"This is your plan, Sophie!"

"I know!" She responded back heatedly as she walked towards him. "But there's a reason you're the one that usually does the planning."

Nate held onto her hands as she sat across from him at the table. "Except when it comes to matters of the heart; that's your territory."

"I am usually pretty good at it." Sophie responded with a false modesty.

"Pretty good? Didn't you know? I don't associate with 'pretty good'." Nate reminded her before kissing the back of her palm.

Sophie smiled. "Only the best."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"Get a room, will ya?" Eliot scoffed emerging from the bathroom in a pair sweat pants and tank with a towel wrapped over his head.

"Had one; that kind of got interrupted." Nate jeered back.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Sophie asked politely hoping to break up any tension.

"Fine." He answered back shortly; which she expected as much.

"Good. Nate and I were just discussing plans. We should leave in fifteen if we want to get to the airport on time for you two to make the 8am to Logan." Sophie explained.

"I'll be ready in ten." He exited to the bedroom.

"I guess that's my cue to pack." Nate stood from his seat.

"You take care of him." Sophie pleaded thinking back to the last flight they were on.

"Of course."

"Nate, if you're too tired…" She saw the wear of exhaustion on his face.

"I can handle it." He assured. "I just need you to drop us off, and I'll take it from there."

"It won't work if…"

"I know; I got it."

XXXXX

"Oh good; looks like you managed to not completely fry your brain. Guess that means your just gonna have to try harder next time." Hardison followed behind Eliot peaking through the doorway.

Eliot took a deep breath. "Hardison, I know…"

"No bro, you really _DON'T_ know!" Hardison threw back at him. "Either that or you just don't give a damn! You wanna know what I did last night? I'll tell ya what I did, I mean before watching someone I care about like a brother spit out a quart of his own blood… I get that's something you may be equipped to deal with, but this bro here, not so much…"

"Hardison." Eliot attempted to quiet the ranting. "I'm sor…"

"Don't you dare tell me you're sorry unless you're prepared to explain what you're apologizing for!" The hacker interrupted him again.

"I haven't been fair to any of you." Eliot responded.

"Ya got that right!" Hardison replied angrily before growing somber. "I tried to defend you, man. The moment you walked out the door. The second she could no longer see you; Parker started to panic. While you were out wining and dining a stranger I was here telling that girl that everything was going to be okay and you weren't going to leave her like everyone else in her life had."

Eliot's eyelids pressed tightly shut trying to save back tears threatening to fall. In a lot of ways Parker was extraordinary; she had to be in order to survive the life that she did and maintain a childlike sense of wonderment. Unfortunately, that life also seemed to leave her with almost an infantile lack of object permanence; a concept typically cemented by the age of two that something can exist outside immediate sensory perception.

"What is it going to take to get through your thick skull that what happens to you _matters_ to the rest of us?"

"It shouldn't." Eliot whispered while zipping his bag leaving Hardison the decision whether or not to let the argument escalate. The hacker sat down next to him.

"You don't get to decide that." He stated calmly. "Not a one of us set out for this, ya know, we all had our reasons for goin' about it alone. For her…"

"I know." Eliot nodded.

"Look, man; I'm young, but I aint naïve. My job mainly consists of sitting at a desk while yours… well, yours… doesn't. I can only hope that this group retires or disbands before any… fatal… errors." Hardison tried spitting out; having a hard time stringing the words together. "But if it does happen, I could. Probably. Someday… I don't know if she could."

Eliot shook his head; there were no words he could use to make it better. "I don't know what…"

"Try harder." Hardison responded before getting up and leaving him seated alone.


	106. Chapter 106

Nate walked in to find Eliot seated with his back against the wall in what appeared to be deep in thought. He knelt down next to the hitter putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Are you ready?" Nate gently prodded.

Eliot nodded noncommittally.

"We don't have to go if…"

"No; I'm…" Eliot started to shift his weight.

"What did Hardison say?" Nate pressed figuring the cause for the internalization.

Eliot simply shook his head. "They shouldn't have seen that."

"Is that what you heard?" Nate asked him. "Exactly where in translation does the message get skewed? Eliot, honestly, _this_ is what scares us about you going home. No; they shouldn't have seen that because it shouldn't have happened. I don't know how to make it any clearer for you."

"It's clear; it's just not that simple." Eliot admitted.

"Why not? What am I missing, here? I get that you are an adult, okay? I know you get to make your own decisions, which is why I haven't gone so far as strapping you up with reinforced locks to a bed. It's tempting, trust me." The mastermind explained while deliberating thinking about how to phrase his next thought. "I know that there is a part of you that doesn't believe your life is worth others worrying about. I know this because I've felt it, but if we haven't explained it enough, that's not your decision to decide that. You don't get to dictate what others feel; so really, the only way to stop hurting us is by taking care of yourself and maybe, just maybe, leaning on us if you need some extra help. You know, call if you can't keep yourself awake during a thunder storm."

Eliot blinked away some tears.

"Did that get processed through the right channels?" The mastermind clarified.

The hitter nodded before handing a pill bottle over to Nate.

"What is this?" He asked before reading the label; shocked when he did.

"Doc musta smuggled it into my bag." Eliot replied.

"Oh."

He swore he saw the mastermind's spirit sink. "Nate, if um… if you notice that I'm having difficulty breathing, 20 mg."

"You're serious?" Nate confirmed with him re-reading the prednisone label.

"Yeah. I'm serious."

"Okay." Nate responded; he'd count that as progress. Nate held out his hand to assist Eliot to his feet. Eliot passed the room Parker was staying in on his way out and paused for a minute watching her draw in her sketchpad before she looked up to notice the hitter standing there. A big childlike grin warmed her face as she saw the color returned to the cheeks of her protector as he stood strong before her.

"Are you leaving?" She asked; he swung his duffle bag over in response.

"I'll see you soon." He promised her.

"Eliot…" She started to say as he raised an eyebrow. "Nothing."

"No; darlin', what is it?"

She shook her head no.

"Parker." He responded almost ordering her to tell him.

"Take care of yourself." She stated quietly. He shook his head before walking into the room and wrapping his arm around her and kissing the top of her head.

"Don't ya worry about that." He whispered to her.

"Can't help it." She smiled back.

He wanted to respond with 'I'll be fine' but it was starting to sink in that those words weren't as assuring as he wanted them to be instead he just held her hand for an extra beat clenching tightly before releasing.

"You know, you're going to have to do a better job of pretending you don't care to stand any chance of convincing us to stop." Nate insisted.

"I realize that." Eliot snickered as they made their way to the rental. Sophie was seated in the driver's seat; Eliot climbed into the back and dropped his head against the rest allowing himself to drift off as they made their way to the airport. Sophie tried to engage him in some conversation about his date but Nate was able to easily divert her attention back to him.


	107. Chapter 107

"Seriously, man, I don't understand why _we _get left with the clean-up." Hardison whined as he lifted a garbage bag over his shoulder.

"You're the one leaving gummy frog wrappers all over the place." Parker commented as she wiped down the fridge.

"Hardison, we've already discussed this…" Sophie explained. Since they didn't know when they would use the place next there was a necessity to 'shut it down'.

"I understand that much, but seriously? If E is healthy enough to run around, fix up breakfast, and go on dates; he should be up to a little spring cleaning."

"Who says he's healthy enough to do those other things?" Sophie questioned.

"Nate." Parker replied bluntly. "He lets him get away with everything."

"No kidding." Hardison rolled his eyes.

"Sophie, are you sure we can trust Nate to do what we need him to in order to…"

"Nate knows that in order for it to work…" Sophie assured the thief.

"Okay, but he's kind of making it a habit of giving in to Eliot's every whim, and Eliot's going to put up a fight if he's told he can't sleep in his own bed tonight." Parker responded.

"I know. Trust me, I know, which is why I… may have… secured… some.. back up." Sophie watched the interest's peak of the two younger team members. "Look, it's not that I don't trust Nate, okay, so it's because I don't trust Nate, but…"

"It's okay." Parker nodded as she patted the grifter's head.

"He is _not_ gonna like this." Hardison commented to himself.

"Hardison, when you're done taking that to the curve can you swing around the circuit breaker and shut it down?"

"Why? I can do that from…" He pulled out his smart phone.

"Hardison…" She gave the motherly warning tone.

"Fine; gotta do it the hard way. You do realize we're living in the 21st century now…? They have remotes for this kind of thing now… or a clapper…" He mumbled walking out the front door.

"Come on, I'm driving." Sophie ushered Parker towards the vehicle.

"Sophie, when we get back can we stop at the pet store?"

"Why? Actually, come to think of it; I don't want to know."

"So can we?"

"I, ah…" Sophie stuttered. "Sure; whatever you want; except no stealing anything; especially if it has more than four legs… or less than two, or… no creepy crawlies!"

XXXXX

After boarding the plane both Nate and Eliot settled into their seats. Nate was impressed that the hitter looked more alert than he had for the last trip as he adjusted his seat back and pulled out a book.

"Whatcha got?" Nate asked him as he handed Eliot a dose of the anti-inflammatory.

Eliot showed him the cover and shrugged. "It looked good."

"Huh, I guess I always saw you to be more of a 'Wild, Wild West' type." Nate commented on the crime/mystery novel.

"I have a few of those in my collection, too." The hitter responded. "What? You think I couldn't read?"

"No; no…never said that." Nate responded; the more he learned about Eliot the more he realized just how complex the man really was. There was _a lot_ more to meet the eye than just 'busting heads'. "I just never expected you to be the kind of person to have your own home library."

"I don't own a television." Eliot explained.

"Why is that?" Nate asked him knowing that it wasn't for lack of watching; he never brought it up before, but Eliot frequented his place whenever a game was on.

"Not easily portable." Eliot replied. A book he could pack away in a duffle bag without worrying about the condition during transport; it had been a long time since he felt settled enough in one location to even think about investing in a large screen. No matter where he was there was always a bar within distance to catch a local game.

"So instead you pack up a bunch of books?"

"Not really; I mean, the stash I have in Boston is probably the biggest my collection has gotten, but when you go to the half-price shop and buy the things for 50 cents a piece you don't care so much about leaving 'em behind."

"You know they have those e-books now." Nate suggested as the plane started to take off down the runway. "You can have a whole collection in one handy little device."

"That would get destroyed within one week of me gettin' it. Thanks, but no thanks; my method has been working just fine."

"The forever nomad." Nate commented.

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing."

Nate shook his head. "Not bad, just…"

"Lonely." Eliot finished the thought.

"Yeah."

"Maybe." The hitter agreed.

"I get it." Nate responded. "In your line of work you can't have that type of attachment to material things. I didn't even realize I had until… well, until… until the Kadjic bust went down. Sterling, of course, knew I couldn't just leave, but…"

"Nate, he was your son. Don't think that the rest of us don't have something that we like to hang onto."

"Really?" Nate looked intrigued.

"Yeah, well, you know, Parker has that rabbit… and, can you imagine what Hardison would do if he lost his laptop? Sophie is _still_ talking about those boots."

"So Parker, and Hardison, and Sophie…?"

"Yeah." Eliot responded as he brought the book up in front of his face cutting off the conversation before it went any further.


	108. Chapter 108

**Sorry, sorry, sorry… blame it on spending writing time watching five seasons of Supernatural. Damn, why didn't somebody tell me that was a good show?**

xxxxxx

"Um… Eliot, you do realize you've been staring at that same page for the past ten minutes, right?" Nate prodded not able to help but peering over every so often just to check on the hitter's status.

Eliot grumbled before putting the book down and releasing his seat back. For the past half hour he had been attempting to push back the pain as his vision blurred forcing him to re-read several of the same lines, but that at least gave a positive illusion as he felt the watchful eyes on him. As he laid back he focused his attention on his own breathing. Nate couldn't help but watch as it appeared that Eliot was able to put himself into more of a relaxed state while pushing the pain away.

"That's a handy little trick." Nate commented as the hitters eyes reopened.

"Guided meditation." Eliot responded. "Particularly useful when bound to chair between torture sessions. I, um… sought shelter in a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka awhile back."

"Buddhism, you?" Nate questioned. "Doesn't that teach tranquility and…"

"Shut up." Eliot fired back. "I learned some lessons better than others."

Nate chuckled before agreeing. "The ones that helped you survive in your world."

"Yeah; I was pretty beaten up when I got there. I'm not even sure how I did get… there." He attempted to explain; there was a memory gap that tended to take place after particularly cruel run-ins with enemies. "All I know is that it was the first time I felt in control of that kind of pain; I didn't have to rely on mind altering medication in order to get through it."

"So you figured out that the physical pain was easier to deal with than the…?"

"Yes." Eliot cut him off. "Of course there was the added benefit of controlling thought…"

"Pushing it down." Nate argued causing the hitter to glare at him. "Yes, I know; I am the last person that should be preaching to you about any of this. When something pops up that I don't want to deal with I go running to the liquor cabinet, but… Eliot, you can't keep trading the emotional pain for the physical. You're not in control of either one right now."

"You're right." Eliot nodded. "You are the last person to be preaching this."

"Eliot…"

"I just… I'm gonna try to get some sleep." The hitter responded.

"Yeah, you do that." Nate muttered to himself expecting the inevitable shut down. Nate sipped from the drink sitting on the tray in front of him as he debated getting some much needed sleep himself. As exhausted as he was, it was the voice inside of him reminding him to keep a watchful eye on the hitter that eventually won out.

Nate spent hours watching mind numbingly dumb movies trying to pass themselves off as what American's believed to be comedy. He swore one of which was a bad parody of a stupid comedy, but the lack of ability for eyes to focus made reading impossible and stewing in his own thought spelt more trouble for his liver. Especially since the stewing included wishing he had some control over the sound of hitched breaths and moans of pain from beside him. He kept looking down at the bottle in his clutches asking himself how bad was 'too bad' before he did something.

"Eliot…" Nate whispered to him when he had enough.

"Are we there yet?" Eliot groaned.

"Not yet; about another hour." He answered before offering the younger man a cocktail of pills. "Come on…" Nate urged.

"Nuh uh. 'M fine." Eliot shook his head.

"Bullshit." Nate rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings earlier, I really am, but in case you've forgotten you gave me the say so."

"Breathins fine." He grunted out.

"You can't fool me; I can hear the rattling in every breath you take. The fluid, it's building up, isn't it?"

"I can…"

"Can what?" Nate questioned. "Manage? Deal with it? No, El, you can't. You may have mastered the art of managing pain or pushing it back or whatever it is you do… but…"

Eliot glanced back at him, desperately clinging to something.

"Eliot, pain, it's here…" Nate tapped his own temple. "It's all here. It can be controlled because it's a state of mind, but I'm not talking about that… I'm talking about the root, the cause; you can't wish that away. You're going to kill yourself trying… or is that end game here?"

"Nate, don't." Eliot pleaded as he realized the conversation could have been easily avoided if he weren't so damn stubborn. He wasn't even sure what it was he was fighting anymore. His crew… his family, they weren't idiots, they saw right through him. He couldn't run; he couldn't hide, so he fought because that's what he knew. Only he wasn't sure how much energy he had left to do so. "Just give me the damn pills."

"Here." Nate poured them into his palm and watched for him to swallow.

"What? You wanna do a mouth check?" Eliot asked snidely as he felt the gaze burning down on him

"No; not needed." Nate turned away allowing the hitter to drift off for the remainder of the trip in what appeared to be a restful slumber. It almost seemed too easy, a couple pills and the suffering diminished. Nate was left wondering if that's what Eliot was fighting for; his own masochistic need to feel… anything.

Eliot heard the announcement over the loudspeaker announcing their descent into Logan International Airport but kept his eyes shut until the jet stopped at their gate. He waited for Nate's nudge before acknowledging his consciousness with a groan.

"It's our stop." Nate prodded.

Upon their descent Eliot could feel blood rushing to his skull causing dancing spots float around his vision as he stood from his seat for the first time in several hours. The mastermind grabbed him before his knees buckled.

"Hey; hey, you okay?" Nate held him up.

Eliot pushed the mastermind's hands off of him. "'Lil dizzy." He answered figuring he wasn't getting anywhere with 'fine.' Once inside the terminal Eliot took a seat fighting down the nausea while gearing to make his own arrangements.

"El…?" Nate questioned as the hitter pulled out his cell. "What are you doing?"

"Calling a cab." He answered still shaking away the cobwebs.

"Why on earth would you need that?" They both heard a familiar voice from behind them.

Nate spun around to see the blonde. "Tara?"

She gave a cocky smirk. "In the flesh; miss me?"

"What are you…?" Nate questioned.

"Sophie said you needed a ride, and since I was in the area I figured 'why not?'." The grifter explained as she stepped into Eliot's narrow view.

"So Sophie called you?" Nate verified. "When?"

"We've stayed in contact." Tara answered. "She wanted to make sure that Interpol wasn't still poking around."

"And?" Nate asked wondering how safe their residences were.

"They're clean." She insisted.

"Good; drop me off at my place." Eliot stood up.

"Yeah; no!" Tara responded. "Sorry Sparky, but the landlord has yet to fix the door."

"The door, seriously?" Eliot's eyes widened. "I don't give a crap about the damn door…"

"One night." Nate cut him off. "Okay? Just one night at my place; you'll be resting anyway. I'll pick up your truck. You can drive home in the morning when the swelling has had time to abate."

"No." Eliot shook his head before grimacing to the pain the act was causing.

"Funny, you think you have a choice in the matter." Tara responded.

"You planning on kidnapping me?"

"If it comes down to that." Tara nodded looking dead serious. He knew she wasn't budging. "You want an alternative? Fine; Nate's or the hospital."

"One night?" Eliot looked directly into Nate's eyes.

"I promise." Nate responded.

"Just, no hurling on my interior." Tara warned the hitter who had taken a green hue.

"Nice seein' ya, too, Tara." Eliot responded back sarcastically trying to maintain appearance until collapsing into the back of her mustang.


	109. Chapter 109

"I thought men were supposed to be all needy and whiny when they were sick?" Tara commented sitting on Nate's couch as he came down the stairs after settling Eliot into his bed.

"Says who?" Nate questioned.

"Says my experience with every other male I've come in contact with. The 'toughest' ones turn into the biggest babies."

"Apparently every rule has an exception." Nate responded as he headed for his stash. "You want anything?"

"Sure; a shot of whatever you're having." A part of her knew that she should probably try to talk Nate out of the glass of bourbon, but never truly saw it as being her place to say anything. Well, of course, except when her life was on the line, but even then the rest of the crew seemed to take over in the busting his chops for it.

"What are you really doing here?" Nate asked handing her the glass.

"Honestly?" Tara asked him.

Nate raised his eyebrows in response hoping to get as much honesty as he could out of a grifter.

"I was working a job in Philly the night Sophie called about his hospitalization. I asked her if there was anything I could do and she requested that I keep tabs on Interpol."

"Out of the goodness of your heart?" Nate questioned; not actually buying that.

"You still don't trust me, do you?"

"Oh, I trust you to do your job." Nate clarified. "Which makes me wonder what's in this for you?"

"What's in it for me?" Tara feigned offense. "Do you realize I was able to stroll into Interpol office, get into the secured records vault, and destroy the hard copy of our profiles? Nice work on that IA investigation!"

"You posed as an internal affairs investigator?"

Tara gave a satisfied sigh and emptied her glass. "Need a refill; would you like a refill?"

Nate handed her his empty glass.

"Believe it or not, I do have a conscience." Tara responded from the kitchen feeling she had to justify her involvement. "That night Sophie was freaked; she saw her family falling apart of the seams, and no amount of money could fix it. It didn't matter which side of the law she was on or how many priceless artifacts she had stowed away for a rainy day. It's… true helplessness. So yeah, I listened and I offered my support."

"Do you think I'm going to judge you for taking the opportunity to destroy your record?"

"I don't know, are you?" She asked.

Nate shook his head no. "At what point did she ask for the ride from the airport?"

"Yesterday; for some reason she doesn't trust you not to cave."

"So you know…?"

"Yeah." Tara responded. "Good luck with that."

Nate chuckled. "Thanks; so you're not sticking around?"

Tara shook her head no. "Nah; seems more like a family thing. Besides need to get back down to Washington before Monday. I don't plan on missing a minute of this trial."

"Sterling hasn't noticed…?"

"No; I can blend when I want to."

"Really?" Nate called into question her ability to blend into a background.

"Yeah, really, besides he's a little preoccupied at the moment trying to talk his way out of an insurance fraud scandal. My only question is why did you wait so long to pull this one off? I can't think of another person so well deserving."

Nate glared back at her with dead eyes not wanting to discuss the 'hindsight is 20/20' theory that replayed over and over again in his own consciousness.

"Right… sorry, but it turned out…"

"Still not entirely sure about that." Nate cut her off; he had yet to determine if the ends justified the means.

"He'll be fine." Tara encouraged. "He's tough."

"Not as tough as he wants us to believe."

"I don't know if I believe that." Tara commented. "The guy faced maximum security prison with pneumonia and two international plane trips with the mother of all concussions. Look, if he wanted to give up, he would've done it already."

"I know that. Physically he _is _the toughest person I know. It's just…"

"I get it." Tara responded. "I mean, I don't know because I haven't been there, but I get it. This needs to happen, but um… once it does, just keep in mind he might need a little bit of breathing room."

Nate nodded slowly as he watched her grab for her purse. "Where are you going?"

"A couple errands to run and then planned on picking up the others. You should take a nap; it looks like you could really use one."

"Eliot's truck?" Nate questioned realizing he made the hitter a promise.

"Handled." Tara promised.

"Tara." He stopped her before she could close the door. "Thank you."

"Don't sweat it."

xxxxxx

**BTW I wanted to throw out a thank you for those who voted for this one in the best general fic category! You guys are the best... the pay off is coming, soon... like, next chapter soon. **


	110. Chapter 110

Eliot slept for almost eighteen straight hours with only being mildly aware of Nate's occasional visits to pour medication down his throat and keep the hitter hydrated. It took extra couple of blinks to properly assess the correct direction of the hands of the wall clock. 11:10; and based on the amount of light streaming through the window it was safe to assume that was AM time. Eliot reached over to the night stand to grab at where his wallet and keys had been left for him, instead he griped onto a spherical shaped object bringing it into his line of vision.

"What the hell?" Eliot questioned out loud at the decorated egg. He sluggishly sat up, pull up his jeans before opening the door and yelling out. "Nate?"

Eliot shook his head at the sound of the strain of his voice, but after no answer yelled again. Deciding it wasn't worth the pain it was causing he threw on a t-shirt and made his way down the stairs to find the crew happily gathering in the loft.

"What is this?" Eliot croaked looking around at the spring themed decorations that littered the living room/kitchen area of the loft.

"Happy Easter!" Parker jumped out in front of him with bunny ears on.

"Oh." Eliot responded vaguely remembering that Stella had mentioned that was coming up. "Nate, where's my stuff?"

Nate was assisting Sophie in the kitchen with what appeared to be a ham dinner while Hardison sat at the table dying hardboiled eggs that Parker had added the sprinkles to. "What stuff?" Nate looked up from the oven after pushing in a platter.

"Wallet; keys to my truck."

"Eliot, come on, it's Easter." Sophie encouraged participation.

"I see that." Eliot looked around again. "Not religious; so whoever has it…"

"Maybe the Easter bunny has it." Parker commented.

"The Easter…" Eliot felt his patience fleeting. "Parker, what did you do with it?"

Parker shrugged. "Maybe the Easter bunny just hoped you'd stay."

"There's no such thing as the fuckin' Easter bunny!" Eliot retorted feeling his chest tightening up.

"Hey Eliot." Nate looked over in concern. "Maybe you should sit down."

"There is too." Parker responded quietly before heading to the office.

"Where is she…? She better be…?" Eliot stammered as Hardison came over offering him a glass of water.

"Easy man; just sit down, take it easy, and enjoy a home cooked meal that you didn't have to prepare for a change." The hacker instructed him.

"You said one night." Eliot glared at Nate after taking a seat on the couch behind him. Obviously they weren't letting him go anywhere; he had a bad feeling there was some kind of game involved and he was the mark.

"I did; I… I did say one _night_." Nate stressed.

"Eliot, it's just a couple more hours…" Sophie added.

"What part of the 'not a fan of surprise parties' are you guys not comprehending?"

"I don't know." Hardison threw back at him. "What part of 'we're grateful we're all here and alive' are you not grasping?"

"So that's what this is?" Eliot huffed.

"Yeah, new beginnings; isn't that what Easter is about?" Nate challenged him.

"Something like that." Eliot responded before Parker walked out with something cradled in her arms.

"She needed a home; I figured since your place had the garden…" Parker explained as she dropped a gray bunny rabbit into Eliot's lap. Eliot couldn't help but smile as it hopped up to his chest. "She likes to cuddle."

"Parker, what am I going to do with a rabbit?" Eliot asked her; finally the frustration in his voice dissipated as he petted the thing.

"Take care of it." She stated sitting next to him as he lounged on the couch. "Like you take care of the rest of us."

"And when we're on a job?" Eliot asked.

"Cora promised she'd come over." Nate told him, clearly in on the gift.

"Besides, you're not going to have to worry about that for a spell." Hardison added.

"Blame Parker." Sophie commented as the hitter gave an accusatory glance. "She figured that if you were going to isolate yourself; she didn't want you to do it alone."

Eliot stifled back a comment about the definition of the word 'isolation'. "Okay, I'll stay _for lunch_."

"And pie?" Parker prodded for more.

"Pie?" He questioned. "What kind of pie?"

"Homemade apple; organically grown." Sophie answered.

Parker could have sworn she saw a twinkle in his eye. "Okay… and pie." He conceded.

"So what are you going to name her?" Parker asked him as everyone went back to what they were doing.

"You mean, you didn't…?"

"No; I was going to leave that for you." Parker insisted.

"Okay, then how about Parker?" He threw out the suggestion.

"You can't name her Parker; that would get really confusing when I come to visit her." Parker demanded. "No; you have to think of something else. Like your sister… what's her name?"

"What?" Eliot suddenly went serious. "What are you talking about?"

"You told Liam and Liam's brother… you had a sister." She responded recalling from the bottle job.

"I did not." Eliot responded as the words echoed his conscious, _'what's your problem?', 'you remind me of my sister.'_ "That was a con, Parker. It was an insult… it wasn't…"

"It wasn't what?" Sophie asked him.

"It wasn't… anything."

"So, you don't?" Parker prodded still petting the bunny snuggled against the hitters chin. The others circled in. "You don't have a…"

"No." Eliot gulped down a knot in his throat.

"You don't or you didn't?" Sophie pressed. She already knew the answer by looking at him; a part of her had known for awhile.

"Okay, I…" Eliot gestured to sit up. "I need some air."

"Eliot, wait." Hardison responded calmly. "Before you dart out of here, you have to know I was against this from the start, but I'm starting to believe…"

"That you set me up?" Eliot stared at him. "What did you do, man? Go digging through… after you promised…?"

"I didn't, I swear." Hardison replied.

Nate sat down at the chair across from the hitter. "Easter is about new beginnings; but that comes through forgiveness. You can't get that until you forgive yourself."

Eliot handed the bunny over to Parker and sat up burying his face in his palms. "I can't."

Sophie clenched his thigh. "Then let us do it for you."

"It doesn't work that way." Eliot sniffled down tears.

"Not completely; but it helps." Parker nodded. "It helps hearing somebody you love say it wasn't your fault."

"But that's the thing." Eliot looked up his eyes red. "It was."

"Did you pull the trigger?" Sophie asked figuring that a gun was involved.

"I might as well have." The hitter answered and then looked around at the expectant audience. "After high school graduation the first thing I did was venture down to the recruiting center and sign my name on the dotted line. Just like my dad, my dad's dad, my dad's dad's da… well, you get it. Signed away a good chunk of my life, and in basic they saw something special, something they could use; a weapon. I moved up the ranks quickly; member of the black ops before I was old enough to drink."

"You hated it." Sophie guessed from the sound of regret.

"No. It didn't matter where they sent me. I wanted to be there. I wanted to help; to be everything I could be." He gave the company line.

"But…?" Nate questioned.

"But the higher you go the more political bullshit you had to deal with." Eliot answered. "Somehow me having the skill and ability that I did somehow made me more valuable, more important, then those guys fighting the front line. I was given orders to retrieve a missing reporter for media pretenses but stand down rescuing children from a school bombing. That seem right to you?"

"No." Parker responded as everyone else nodded.

"When my term ended, I had made up my mind that I was getting out; I was done. I was stationed in Germany awaiting orders to return home and start my life back up."

"With Aimee?" Parker questioned.

"That was the plan. I was going to help out at the ranch for awhile while we searched for our own place." Eliot explained. "My last week in Hannover I was approached by a man that said my skill was too good to waste. He said that he could offer me a lot of money to do the same kind of "retrieval" I was doing in the military without the contract and without the red tape; I could do it on my terms with no contract involved."

"It sounds too good to be true." Nate responded.

"That's what I thought; told him no, wasn't interested. I had a girl at home waiting for me, and he was very cocky as he slipped me his card and assured me that he would be hearing from me soon."

"How long?" Hardison asked him knowing where this story was going.

"Two months." Eliot answered. "I tried telling myself it was to ensure our future, but the truth was I was an adrenaline junky that needed the rush. I did a few jobs; some illegal, some not so much. I would disappear in the middle of the night and not return until… well, eventually she had enough. I couldn't blame her; I had already asked her to wait long enough, and even when I was there I wasn't."

"That's when you liberated Croatia?" Hardison added.

"Yeah; I had a little down time after that; recovering from a spiral fracture of the left femur."

"Ouch." Sophie reacted.

"To say the least. I had just gotten the medical okay when I got another call. He um…" Eliot swallowed. "He, ah… wanted me to assist with a child trafficking from Indonesia."

"Eliot…?" Parker responded back with tears in her eyes from her own upbringing.

"I said no; I wasn't gonna do it. I was okay with… but not that. I was stupid, young, and cocky. Gorski didn't have contract over me binding to his services; I was a free agent."

"Or so you thought." Nate understood.

"What was he going to do? Threaten me?" They could see the tears rolling down his face. "I was in my loft in Oklahoma, dragged out in the middle of the night after being hit over the head with a crowbar and held in the basement of some abandoned oil refinery. I figured I'd be worked over, but I'd find my out; always did, but he um… changed the rules. He had my phone, placed a call to my sister, and made me listen to my two-year-old nephew scream in the background as they lodged a bullet into his mother's brain."

"It wasn't your fault." Parker put the bunny back on his lap, unconsciously he started to pet it.

"Don't say that." He pleaded. "She laid in a coma for a week before she was pronounced brain dead and my parents had to come to the decision to take her off life support."

"Eliot…" Sophie offered another sympathetic pat.

"I killed them." He admitted. "Every one of them; the day she died was the day I tracked down the man that pulled the trigger. Took his life in the most painful way I knew how."

The rest of the crew stayed quiet not needed that particular detail.

"On your birthday?" Parker asked.

"What?" Eliot was thrown off. "No; October."

"Then why…?" Parker asked.

Eliot snickered gently. "She, um… was my, ah, twin sister. Last birthday I celebrated was our golden."


	111. Chapter 111

_Eliot snickered gently. "She, um… was my, ah, twin sister. Last birthday I celebrated was our golden."_

"The other half of you." Nate echoed Eliot's earlier confession to him.

"The better half." Eliot repeated.

"No." Nate shook his head.

"Yeah." Eliot choked out a cry. "She was eight when she nursed a sparrow with a broken wing back to health and decided to be a veterinarian when she grew up. She was in college when she met the love of her life, a future cardiac surgeon. I got to stand up for her wedding; military gave me leave. I don't know if I'd ever seen her that happy… she had her whole life ahead of her. That summer, while recovering from the leg injury, I spent a lot of time over there. They were talking about conceiving child number two… She just wanted a family… She deserved…."

"Eliot…" Sophie stopped him; he physical hurt to hear him go on.

"It should have been me." He whispered as his voice gave out.

"Don't you say that." Parker demanded. "Don't you _ever_ say that!"

"They took the wrong one." He repeated the words he had heard his own mother say over and over again in his unconscious.

"Eliot, no! No one believes that except you… you can't keep punishing…" Sophie tried to reach him.

"That's what she said."

"What who said?" Nate asked him.

"My ma." He managed to choke out. "I went to the wake and…"

"Oh God!" Sophie reacted by pulling his head into her chest as he broke down. Nate felt his own stomach twist and swallowed down bile he felt rising in his esophagus; he needed air, and fast. Hardison watched Nate dart for the front door. As the girls focused their attention on the hitter, he decided to go after their father figure finding him just outside the door of the bar.

"You okay, man?"

"How could any parent do that to their child?" Nate asked staring out into the distance leaning against the building.

Hardison shook his head. "Grief; it brings out the worst in people. She lost her daughter, and…"

"Blamed her son!" Nate responded furious. "She robbed him of his chance to say goodbye and confirmed everything he was already thinking and feeling inside. What he needed was her forgiveness and support, and instead…"

"After Sam died, what was your capacity to…"

"Don't. Don't try to compare; I'd never, never…" Nate did know the grief of losing a child and the blame game that was played. When it happened he blamed himself more than anyone, but everyone and everything around him got part of backlash, but then again his lost his child; his _only_ child. He wanted to believe that if anyone could be protected from that backlash it would be a sibling. "What she did, she lost both of them."

"Yeah." Hardison nodded in agreement. "Maybe that was easier for her. I'm not saying anything about this is right, but blaming her isn't going to help Eliot. Turning her into the bad guy won't fix this!"

"Then how? He's spent nearly a decade telling himself he'd be better off dead."

"Then we spend the next decade telling him he's wrong, and reminding him why he's here." Hardison concluded. "It's not going to happen over night, but something kept him fighting; he could have rolled over and let an enemy take him out or done it himself if he didn't want to give another bastard the satisfaction, but he didn't. He's here, and he's letting himself feel more than he has in a long time, and inch by inch he's letting us in."

"Okay." Nate noted his agreement.

"I'll give you a minute." Hardison stated before leaving Nate the opportunity to calm his own nerves as he returned to the apartment to find Eliot checking the temperature of the cooking meat while Parker pulled any chords out of the way of the curious bunny. "So?" He whispered to Sophie. "That lasted long."

Sophie chuckled and replied sarcastically. "Took about 20 seconds for him to register what was happening before pulling away and asking if he was cured now."

"Now that's the E we know and love. Do you think he'll be okay?" They both watched the scene from the family room area.

Sophie nodded and headed towards the kitchen to start setting up the table.

"What was her name?" Parker asked Eliot as she kept her eye on the bunny. "You never said…"

"Lisa Beth." Eliot replied attempting to swallow down any lingering tears. "Or…"

"Elizabeth." Sophie answered for him.

"Yeah, but, you know, as I was starting to talk I couldn't really pronounce that, so… the nick-name, it kind of stuck. By high school she had all her friends callin' her Lisa, but the family never really got the hang of that."

"You?" Parker asked him.

Eliot snickered, thinking of all the nicknames used. "I probably called her everything but. Hey… big brother here."

"Big brother?" Hardison questioned, although, admittedly, he was good in the role.

"Twelve whole minutes." Eliot answered as he brought the ham and potatoes to the dining room table. "Where's Nate?"

"He'll be up in a sec." Hardison answered.

"What? He run out of the scotch up here?" Eliot questioned knowing there was a fully stocked bar downstairs.

"Something like that." Nate answered as he re-entered the apartment with a bottle of Eliot's favorite whiskey in hand. "I figured it's been a rough day."

"You're kidding?" Eliot replied. Not one of them had let him touch a drop of alcohol since diagnosed with the concussion.

"There is one caveat." Nate mentioned. "You don't get to drive home."

Eliot pondered for a moment before taking his seat at the table and holding out his glass. "Hit me." He decided, succumbing to the fact that these people, his crew, his _family_, weren't going to stand by and watch him run himself off; not this time.


	112. Chapter 112

"According to Tara Sterling is sweating what has been categorized as a 'must see' trial." Nate directed the conversation on the latter part of their meal.

"Yeah, she was saying that." Hardison commented, having fished out details from her when she went to pick them up. "Poor guy has been held in contempt of court twice now for running his chomp."

"Did you just refer to Sterling as 'the poor guy'?" Parker questioned.

"Stupid bastard, that better?" Hardison asked her.

"Much." She grinned and chomped on a sweet roll.

Eliot smiled. He stayed quiet through most of the dinner chatter, listening intently as he nursed his drink and enjoyed the ambiance.

"Not hungry?" Sophie whispered to him noticing him pushing more around the plate than he was putting in his mouth.

"All this Sterling talk has taken my appetite." Eliot attempted to brush it off with a sarcastic comment. Truth was, though, that there was a tightness in his chest causing an extra effort to breathe properly.

"Well, what would you rather talk about?" Parker asked him. "Don't think I'm gonna let you off the hook until you name your bunny, and it better not be after some random floozy you hooked up with."

"Okay, so that leaves us with like… Gwendalina…" Hardison snickered.

"Actually…" Eliot commented.

"Dude, seriously?"

"No." He shook his head yanking the younger man's chains. "How about Beth?"

"Beth the bunny, what do you think?" Parker asked the hopping critter. "I like it."

"That's good; now do you think you could put her back in her cage before she starts leaving presents all over my floor." Nate looked under the table to make sure it wasn't getting into any trouble.

"She wouldn't do that." Parker insisted.

"Why? You think you can potty train a rabbit?"

"Actually, you can." Eliot piped in. "It's kinda like a cat, as long as you make the liter box available…"

"Can we not talk about this at the table?" Sophie stopped him.

"Sorry." Both Parker and Eliot answered back.

"Are you done with that?" Nate asked Eliot as he went to stand up and clear his own plate.

"I…I got it." Eliot insisted.

"Eliot, I'm going in that dir…"

"Nate." Eliot interrupted him needing that sense of control at the moment. "I got it."

"Okay." Nate backed off, but watched carefully as the hitter stood up and made his way to the kitchen to scrape off his plate before rinsing it off.

"Hey man, where are you going?" Hardison asked as Eliot started towards the stairs.

"Gonna lay down for a bit." He admitted.

"Are you…?"

"Wake me up for pie." Eliot interrupted the hacker before the word 'okay' came out.

"Sure thing, bro." Hardison promised and watched his brother figure disappear down the hallway.

"You doing okay?" Sophie prompted Nate as he finished clearing the table.

Nate chuckled. "Sure."

"He gave _a lot_ today." Sophie reminded him.

"I know." Nate nodded as he put the pie into a preheated oven. After the story was told; practically pushed out of the hitter the team was left with questions unasked and information rather left unknown. "You knew, didn't you?"

"I had most of it figured out." Sophie admitted. "The key was Parker."

"What do you mean?"

"There's no doubt in my mind that he wouldn't lay down his life for any one of us, but the way he looks out for her, it's just… He'd protect her from the world if he could. He doesn't want her to experience anymore pain then she already has, and if she does, it becomes his mission to somehow make it better."

"Like… a big brother." Nate understood.

"You think it was a coincidence that the more stubborn he got about his treatment the more I… suggested… that Parker be the one to talk to him? One look with those big doe eyes…"

"And here I thought I was the mastermind." He smirked; he couldn't deny the connection between the two thieves. Parker needed to know he'd always be there and Eliot needed her to know he wouldn't let her fall.

"She also said something, at Donavan's, before he stormed out… She told him that he would make a good mother, _if_ he was… well… female." Sophie divulged. "In his head it all fits; the one that should have lived versus the one that should've…"

"Been killed." Nate finished. "I'm not sure where we go from here. I mean, it's great that we know and maybe he can heal some over time, but I don't think we're going to change the way he feels. He's looking to atone for the life he chose, and the choices that killed her, and… and ultimately the way to accomplish that is…"

"No." Sophie stopped him. "I can't, we can't… it's not going to come to that."

"It might." Nate knew the law of averages weren't always going to be on their side. "And he's already made peace with that."

"With what?" Parker bounced up behind them.

"What are you doing in here?" Nate jumped. "And where's the rodent?"

"Beth's in her cage like you asked." Parker responded before going into his coffee cabinet and pulling out an opened tin.

"Parker, what are you doing."

"Nothing." She smirked.

"Parker, are you hiding Easter eggs?" Sophie asked her in a maternal tone. The thief looked away slightly.

"No; no, absolutely not!" Nate demanded. "You are not hiding hard boiled eggs all over my apartment."

"But…."

"No!" Nate insisted. "Wherever you put those things you get them out, _now_!"

"You're no fun." Parker pouted.

"I told you so." Hardison shook his head listening to the objection.

"You didn't have to be so hard on her." Sophie put a hand on Nate's shoulder. "She didn't get those moments as a child."

"I realize that." Nate stated just above a whisper. "But…"

"I know." She sympathized knowing that any and all holiday traditions tended to pull a particularly hard chord in the mastermind.

"I'm going to go downstairs for awhile…"

"Nate…" She attempted to stop him from his insufferable brooding before sighing as he closed the door behind him. Sophie looked around as Parker seemed to scour trying to remember her hiding places. "Here, need some help?" The grifter offered.

xxxxxxx

**Author's note: I figured since I've gotten a few inquiries I should clarify something. Apparently the term "golden birthday" isn't in as common use as it was in my family. So, for reference, the golden birthday is the birthday associated with the date of birth... "Eliot's" birthday being the 27th of the month would place the golden on his 27th birthday. As I was putting the timeline together it fits that his term was approximately 7-8 years, within a year of coming back he broke up with Aimee (sometime in 2000, as the story went in season 1 (2008) of Leverage he hadn't spoken to her in 8 years) within the next year is when his sister was killed (so October 2001) at age 27. **


	113. Chapter 113

Hardison approached the bedroom finding the hitter curled up in a spooned position with both arms wrapped over his midsection. Footsteps alerted Eliot that someone was coming causing his eyes to dart open.

"Hey, sorry if I…" Hardison started to respond. Eliot's gaze seemed to soften as he was able to dismiss a possible threat. "It's just… pie should be done shortly, and well, you have another dose of meds so I brought some water… and God, this isn't going to get easier, is it?"  
"What?" Eliot rasped as he signaled for the hacker to step over the threshold he was stationed at with a nod.

Hardison put the glass down on the nightstand next to him. "You just always seemed more like the 'I'll sleep when I die type', it takes a little getting used to…"

Eliot laughed a little before it was broken with a cough. "Can't win, can I? Never wanted you to see this; wanted to go home."

"To lick your own wounds? If I remember correctly that's what started this whole mess. You're right, you can't win. You act like nothings wrong, we tell you to quit the macho bullshit. You try to run and hide, we chase after you. You succumb, and we worry, but so what? That's what families do. We're not going to worry any less if you're pretending nothing is wrong or hiding out somewhere. At least this way you're getting better, 'cause bro, that's the only thing that's gonna stop the concern."

Eliot hoped that getting more rest would help alleviate some of the extra strain on his lungs. "Hardison, there's a bottle in my travel pack. Can you…?"

The hacker reached over and dug through Eliot's duffle bag before unzipping the bag and taking out the prescription handing it over without reading the label. Eliot poured out a dosage as well as his antibiotics before downing them with water.

"It's not getting better, is it?" Hardison observed.

The hitter shook his head no. "Sitting out in the rain wasn't my finest idea."

"Why did ya do it, man? I still don't get it. If you were tired, okay, we could have dealt with that. Just one stupid phone call…"

"I wasn't tired." Eliot admitted sinking down in the bed after having to sit up to swallow his pills. "Well, I mean, I was, but that wasn't… I um… I had a flashback, or a series of them, and ah…"

"Eliot?" Hardison questioned; his concern mounting.

"By the time I realized where I was, I was… I was in the wrong lane. I had to swerve…"

"To avoid an oncoming vehicle." Hardison saw the scene play out in his head.

Eliot nodded. "I made it to the side of the road, but I was drowning, and I couldn't pull myself up; I couldn't move… I wanted…"

"You wanted what?" Hardison asked; his voice shaky.

"No." Eliot back down; hating the look of anguish on the boy's face.

"You wanted… you wanted it to stop." He answered for him. "You wanted the world to swallow you up right then and there. Right? Come on, tell me I'm wrong."

Eliot shook his head no, he couldn't argue it.

Hardison shook his own head trying to swallow down the sickness in his throat. "Why didn't you just let the car run you down?"

"They could've been hurt…"

"The other driver… of course."

"It was a passing thought." Eliot assured. "I couldn't, I wouldn't do that to you guys… I came back. I kept fighting; I've been fighting… all the way."

Hardison nodded. "For us." He paused briefly. "What about before that? Before there was an us?"

"Hey Parker…" He knew the girl was seated outside the room. She poked her head in not wanting to interrupt the conversation. "Can you, um… get me my wallet?"

She nodded and returned quickly handing the wallet over to him as he invited her onto the bed. Eliot ruffled through before digging out the picture. "His name is Colton; it was taken the summer before his mom was killed."

"I don't get it." Parker admitted.

"Gorski knew everything about me; did his research before he even approached me. He knew my strengths and my weaknesses; he had to die, only way I could keep the same thing from happening all over again… but he wasn't the only person I crossed. He certainly wasn't the only enemy I had. I didn't have the option of walking away from that path, and if something happened to me I couldn't protect him. He was all that was left of her."

"You walked away from your family to protect them." Parker understood.

"They didn't want me there anyway; it made it easier. I shut down, but I knew I couldn't give up. I couldn't leave that little boy vulnerable." Eliot admitted.

"Where is he now?" Parker asked him.

"Austin." Eliot answered as he admitted that he had secretly been keeping tabs on his nephew. "His dad moved back to his hometown after Lisa Beth's funeral. A few years ago he remarried to a sweet woman that he had been dating for awhile. She loves him as if he were her own…"

"He doesn't even know who you are." Hardison speculated.

"It's better that way. He's safe and happy and has his whole future ahead of him. He can be anything he wants. I've made sure of that."

"Eliot?" Parker posed questioningly.

"You wanted to know what I did with the first payout… besides securing some safe houses with stashed cash as needed; there's a college fund under his mother's name; all his on his eighteenth birthday."

"It doesn't seem right." Hardison replied.

"What?"

"Keeping him out of your life; it's not fair to either one of you."

"Hardison, it's done! And you're not going to change my mind. I turned his life upside down enough, but fortunately he was young enough to retain his innocence. He's safe; he's happy, I will _not_ fuck with that. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I get it."

"You too?" Eliot looked to the thief.

Parker nodded. They sat quietly for a few moments before Sophie came to the door announcing that the pie was ready. Parker and Hardison hurried out as Eliot announced the need to 'freshen up'. Sophie stood outside the bathroom door listening to the wet cough making a mental note to schedule an emergency appointment for a chest scan.


	114. Chapter 114

"_Hey Elle, get that leg up." The limb was jostled by her nudge._

_ "And who left you in charge?" Eliot snipped back trying to hold back a grimace._

_ "Your doctor after you practically begged her to take the cast off."_

_ "I don't beg." Eliot assured her._

_ "Well, however you 'coerced' her…" Lisa watched her brother's lips curl into his cocky smirk. "Okay… ewe! Your doctor?"_

_ "Not anymore." He winked; she was a stunning woman. "Hey, don't look at me like that! I heal faster than the average person."_

_ "So, what you're saying is that it's healed?" Lisa asked in a manner that felt more like a threat. "If I were to say…"_

_ "Don't!" Eliot stopped her from touching his thigh as he lifted his leg onto a nearby cooler. "Better?"_

_ "That's what I thought." _

_ "It was itchy." Eliot grumbled under his breath._

_ "Ya big baby." She mumbled back. It never ceased to amaze her that he could handle going to war and back but he could barely tolerate a whole week in a leg cast. _

_ "Uncle Ellie!" Colton ran towards him from the cabin door. _

_"What's up bud?" _

_ "Whens fireworks start?" The two-year-old asked him excited that his mom was letting him stay up for the forth of July festivities. _

_ Eliot snickered. "What did I tell ya?"_

_ "When sun goes nighty-night."_

_ "Right." _

_ "Gonna be dark?" Colton asked tenuously._

_ Eliot nodded. "'Fraid so, bud, but don't worry; fireworks, they light up the whole sky."_

_ "You sure?" He asked both his uncle and mom. Lisa smiled and nodded the affirmation._

_ "Uncle Ellie, can I sit in your lap?" The two-year-old pouted knowing that he'd feel safe there._

_ "Honey, I don't know that's the best..." His mom tried to detour him._

_ "Sure; I got no problem with that." Eliot shrugged and patted his knee allowing the child to climb onto the lawn chair with him._

_ Lisa shook her head knowing it was a losing battle. "Why don't I go inside and see what's taking your dad so long?"_

_ "We making mores?"_

_ "Yes, honey, we're making s'mores." She confirmed before checking inside to help her husband find the marshmallows she had packed. _

_ "Your mama tell you why we celebrate the fourth?" Eliot asked his nephew._

_ He nodded his head. "Cel'brate heroes that make us free."_

_ The hitter chuckled at the simplicity of the statement. _

_ "Like you!" Colton added._

_ "Like me... what?" _

_ "Our countries heroes. Like you." Lisa stated from behind him. _

_ "I'm not…" Eliot shook his head. _

_ "Only the real heroes deny it." Jared piped in approaching the fire pit with his wife before handing Eliot a cold beer. _

_ "Thanks man." He replied still trying to shy away from the hero title. "Hey bud, how would you like to roast me a marshmallow?"_

_ "Eliot!" Lisa yelled at him. "He's two!" _

_ "Yeah?" He replied. "I'll be right here with him the whole time."_

_ "Mama?" Colton pleaded._

_ "Fine." She rolled her eyes and directed the next statement to her brother. "You watch him!"_

_ "Always." Eliot smirked as he helped Colton place two marshmallows on the end of his skewer before instructing the kid where to hold it. Eliot took the very end to assist in holding and rotating the marshmallow within the flame. _

_ "Hey, I have an idea." Jared proposed after everyone filled up on s'mores eying the guitar sitting behind his brother-in-law. _

_ "You volunteering?" Eliot asked him._

_ "I'm not the one here with the voice of a bonafide country singer." Jared stated. _

_ "Lis?" Eliot requested her assistance. She handed him the guitar as he positioned Colton in front of his chair who turned to watch 'Uncle Ellie' play as his mother sang._

_ "…Let freedom ring; Let the white doves sing;_

_ Let the whole world know that today's_

_ A day of reckoning._

_ Let the weak be strong; Let the right be wrong;_

_ Roll the stone away; Let the guilty pay_

_ It's Independence Day…"_

_Lisa finished the song to a captive audience. _

_ "Alright Elle, your turn." She insisted just as the sun set below the horizon. _

_ "Okay, one more, but you have to help, bud." Eliot ruffled Colton's hair before starting the opening riff for 'Proud to be an American' urging the family to join in with him during the chorus._

_ The sound of the fireworks going off sent the two-year-old back into his uncle's lap as he held his hands over his ears and rested against his chest._

_ "Hey; hey, it's alright."_

_ "Don't like noise." Colton shook his head._

_ "It's okay. I gotcha, just… look." Eliot pointed into the distance to the display of color. _

_ "Wow!" The boy responded in awe as his gaze turned outward. He owed and awed as the display continued before eventually caving to the pull of sleep._

_ "You're great with him." Lisa commented not wanting to pull her son from his spot, instead putting a blanket over him._

_ "It's easy; he's a great kid."_

_ "Did you ever think that you and Aimee would… you know…?"_

_ "Lis, please don't." He stopped her._

_ "I'm sorry, I just… Elle, I know you, and I know…"_

_ "She's married!" Eliot snapped back causing Colton to reposition falling right back to sleep. "She's… she… it doesn't matter, it's better…"_

_ "Who are you kidding?" Lisa challenged him. "She still loves you, Elle."_

_ "What? She tell you that?"_

_ "As if she had to. It's written all over her, and more importantly it's written all over you. Eliot, if you weren't so damn stubborn…"_

_ "I tried, okay, I did, but…" He attempted to explain. "I don't really know what I want, and I don't blame her for not wanting to stick around while I figure it out."_

_ "I don't want you to turn around one day and realize you let the best thing in your life just slip away."_

_ "What's the saying? If you love something enough you let it go…?"_

_ "That's bull." Lisa insisted. _

_ "Maybe, but she deserves to be happy."_

_ "It's always about what everybody else deserves, isn't it? Elle, what about…?"_

_ "Me?" He asked her looking around at everything around him; everything he cherished. "I'm good. No complaints here."_

_ She let out an audible sigh. "I love you, you know that?"_

_ He nodded and grinned. "In your own little annoyingly pushy way."_

_ "You wouldn't have it any other way." She reminded him._

_ "You're right; like always."_

_ "You remember that." She warned him._

_ "Love ya, too." _

_ "I know." She smirked. "What would you do without me?"_

Eliot's dream suddenly flashed to a scene at her wake before stirring to a coughing fit.

"El… Eliot!" He heard his name being called from a cloudy distance as hands assisted him to a seated position. "Eliot, can you hear me?"

"Yeah." He choked out as his vision focused in on Nate's face. Eliot held out a finger indicating giving him another minute as he clutched his chest.

"Water?" Nate asked him to which he got a nod. The mastermind darted to the kitchen sink before returning back to the couch. "What hurts?"

"Nate, I'm…"

"No." Nate stopped him. "What hurts?"

"Chest… tight…" Eliot huffed.

"Okay, meds upstairs?"

Eliot nodded. "Nate? Where's… everyone?"

"They left awhile ago. After pie Hardison put on a movie; you fell asleep." Nate reminded him. "You looked so peaceful we didn't want to wake you."

Eliot rested his head back on the sofa waiting for Nate to return as his breathing slowed to a normal rhythm.

"Good dream?" Nate passed him his pills.

Eliot nodded gently. "Mostly."

"Let me guess; good memory that's almost unbearable to re-live?"

The hitter snickered. "Great until you wake up. Not sure what's worse, that or the nightmares. I suppose you understand?"

"Yeah." Nate nodded. "Do you… would you… want to talk about it?"

"Nah. Kind of chick flicked out."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Okay, I get it. But you know if you need… we're here."

"I know." Eliot insisted.

"And, by the way, I scheduled you for a chest scan tomorrow." Nate decided to inform him.

"Nate…" The hitter started to protest.

"I know a guy; old friend of my father's. He knows how to be… discrete. He gives an all clear and I'll stop meddling, but you're going. End of discussion."

Eliot shook his head and mumbled. 'They call me the stubborn one.'

"What was that?"

"Nothin." Eliot replied shrugging off the 'go to bed' that Nate gave him next.


	115. Chapter 115

"Alright, that was the last one." The doctor explained. "Go ahead and change; I'll meet you in the waiting room once I get the chance to look these over."

Nate had dragged him out of bed at 8:30 in the morning to pour coffee down his throat before bringing him in for the chest scan. Along with the CT scan the doctor had insisted on a spirometry reading after his initial examination. Eliot muscled himself up from his supine position on the CT table after the doc left and reached out for his sweats feeling a bit exposed in the gown he was forced into.

"How did it go?" Nate asked him once he opened the door to the waiting room.

Eliot shrugged and took the closest seat he could find.

"Eliot…?"

"Fine." He finally responded curtly. "He had me blow in a tube and take some pictures; said to wait here and he'd come back with the results."

"So he didn't tell you…?"

Eliot shook his head no. "Figured you'd want to sit in for that part."

Nate chuckled silently; he wouldn't have to if he trusted Eliot enough to tell the truth, or at least not downplay the severity. "It's for your own good."

"Right." The hitter replied sarcastically before curling into the seat dropping his head into the crease of his elbow that was supported by the arm rest. Nate was exhausted just looking at the kid as he sipped on his coffee before going back to his book and putting on a good show of not revealing how much he hated this.

"Nate." The old doctor stepped out into the waiting room after a solid hour.

Nate looked up from his chair at the sullen expression and then over at a sleeping Eliot. "How bad?"

"He'll live." Dr. Mubasshar answered back and then signaled for them to follow him back. Nate got up from his seat to prod the younger man awake. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that all Eliot seemed to want to do since arriving back in Boston is sleep this thing off.

"So? What's the verdict?" Eliot asked once they were all seated in the doctor's office.

"You mean besides the preceding factor of the bacterial pneumonia?" The doctor reiterated.

"Yeah, besides that." Eliot snapped back.

"The tightness and difficulty breathing is caused by pleural effusion."

"By what?" Nate chimed in not liking the sound of it.

"It's fluid build-up surrounding the lung." The doctor explained.

"How do we… what do we… treatment?" Nate stuttered.

"Treatment is a basic pleural tab; stick a needle in a pull the fluid out. Luckily you caught it in time to not have to do a full chest tube."

"Yeah, lucky me."

"Eliot!" Nate scolded the grumpy hitter.

Eliot rolled his eyes. "So? Stick me."

"I can't; I don't have the equipment here, but I did schedule you for a thoracentesis at St. John's this afternoon." Dr. Mubasshar handed Nate the information. "The appointment is under the name Mark Baker. It's outpatient."

"We done?" Eliot asked.

"No." The doctor responded just as abruptly. "You know, son, if you're not a fan of doctors you probably shouldn't be putting yourself in the position of needing one. This isn't something to be playing around with; if not dealt with that fluid can cause your lungs to collapse. As it is you're working at about 25% capacity."

Nate cringed at the information. "How about the blood? How…?"

"Told ya; scar tissue." Eliot rebutted; Nate ignored him.

"He's right." Dr. Mubasshar confirmed. "There's little we can do for that except treat the underlying problem. I'm going to prescribe a stronger antibiotic than the one he's been on as well as use of an inhaled bronchodilator to open his airways. Activity should be minimal; bed, couch, bathroom, that's it."

Nate nodded. "Anything else we should know?"

"The prescription should be ready to pick up from the pharmacy in a couple of hours. The antibiotic is pretty harsh; it could cause some stomach pain and nausea, but do not stop taking until the prescription is complete even if you start feeling better." The doc directed the information to Eliot. "I'd like to schedule a follow-up chest scan in a couple days to check for any additional build-up."

"His schedule is open." Nate assured him.

"You got all this?" The doctor again looked to Eliot for confirmation.

"Yea'." Eliot nodded with a look on his face reading 'I'm not stupid'.

"Okay, schedule an appointment with Gail. I'll see you soon." Dr. Mubasshar instructed. Eliot left with little but a wave indicating his exit while Nate stayed back for a few more minutes of pleasantry conversation with the family friend.

"Are you all set?" The young receptionist who had just recently clocked into her shift asked as he walked through the entry.

"Um… almost." Eliot cracked what was probably the first smile of the morning. "Are you Gail?"

"Depends whose asking." She replied back.

"Well, I um… I'm pretty sure I was told to schedule something with you."

"Is that right?" Gail asked coyly.

"Doctor's orders." He nodded.

"Can't mess with those; in that case I'd need a name, number, and available time."

"Saturday, 8 o'clock?" Eliot grinned which caused the girls checks to tint to a light shade of pink.

"Eliot, are you actually attempting to pick up the receptionist?" Nate asked accusatorily.

"Um…" He replied.

"We need to schedule a follow-up later this week under the name Baker." Nate cut off his reply.

"Sure thing." She replied looking through the calendar. "How about Thursday, same time?"

"That works." Nate assured her.

'Call me.' Eliot signaled before walking out the door.

"Seriously?" Nate questioned as they got to the car. "What part of bed rest are you not grasping?"

"Who said we wouldn't be in the bed?" Eliot shrugged.

"There's something wrong with you." Nate shook his head.

"Hey!" He responded insulted his phrase was used against him. 'No more than anyone else.' He grunted.

"You sure about that?" Nate teased.

"Shut up."

XXXXX

**Glad you guys are still liking it! Yes, we are working towards Eliot actually getting better. For those with concerns as to my intentions with Eliot's love life; he is no where near the point of being ready to settle down with anyone. The stuff from the past mentioned is merely a way of dealing with what wasn't already dealt with. As Eliot said 'Some roads, you start going down, well, you can't turn back, and... I'm about a hundred miles down one of those right now' I wouldn't put Eliot back with Aimee anymore than I would put Nate back with Maggie... Now, Eliot and Maggie, um... lol. **


	116. Chapter 116

"Mr. Baker." The doctor approached Nate in the waiting room. "We're finished with your brother's procedure. He's been moved to recovery but can go as soon as the paperwork is signed."

"How is he doing?" Nate questioned knowing he wasn't going to get a straight answer from Eliot.

"He'll be sore for a while, but we were able to successfully remove over 900ml of fluid from his lungs."

Nate's eyelids dropped, pressing tightly as he felt a stress induced constriction in his temple. "Is that normal?" He questioned.

"It's not ideal; however, completely in range for this type of treatment." The doctor indicated. "I can tell you're worried, but I promise you as long as he follows the recommended treatment plan your brother is going to be fine."

"That's a big 'if'." Nate muttered. "Where is he?"

"Down the hall; room 413." The doctor pointed out the route for Nate to follow. He kept his gaze straight ahead not wanting to pear into an all too familiar family scene playing out in a neighboring room. He arrived outside the door as a nurse was exiting.

"You must be the brother." She insisted noticing a familial resemblance.

Nate smirked at the implication that he took as a compliment. "He asked for me? Before or after obtaining your number?"

The young brunette blushed before mumbling. "Figured an on-call nurse could come in handy."

"Sure." Nate chuckled before entering the room finding the hitter fully dressed but resting comfortably against the mattress. "Are you ready to check out of here, Romeo?"

"Do you really need to ask?"

"Don't know; with Thursday and Friday booked I figured you'd want to lock in plans for Saturday."

"Receptionist." Eliot gloated.

"You sure? Last I checked…"

"Oh, she'll call." He assured. "How much you wanna bet there's a message waiting for me at home? Which, by the way, you are…"

"I am taking you home, yes, but El; bed, couch, restroom." Nate repeated the doctor's orders.

"Yeah; got it." Eliot gingerly swung his feet around to the floor.

"Eliot."  
"I swear; we'll order in."

"Fine." Nate didn't feel like arguing. He watched as the hitter struggled to stand up straight after the stiffness that came with being stabbed repeatedly in the back through the rib cage. "You want me to grab a wheelchair?"

"No." Eliot snapped back.

"Okay." Nate backed off.

"I'm fine."

"Uh huh."

XXXXX

"What I want to know is how this bro lasted this long without a television set?" Hardison commented as he drilled the flat screen stand into the wall; although he was impressed with the stereo system he had set up. "Ya know, I could run a pretty decent surround sound system in this place."

"Might as well." Parker shrugged as she sat on the counter eating a carrot with Beth on her lap. She figured that if there was going to be hell to pay the damage was already done.

"Did Nate give an ETA?" Hardison questioned looking around the place to see how much time he had to clean up before they got back.

"They just left the hospital." Parker answered having received the text. "They're going to the pharmacy to pick up his prescription."

"Good, plenty of time. Can you grab that end for me, mama?"

Parker set the rabbit down as it chewed on the end of the carrot she left for it to help lift the screen into place. "Remember; no cords."

"Baby, I gots this." Hardison assured her while he plugged the cables into place. "I promised, completely bunny proof, right?"

Parker nodded.

"When have I ever not gone through on a promise?"

Parker thought about it. Nothing came to mind; as overly arrogant as the boy seemed he really was genuine about sticking to his word.

"See." Hardison responded before she could come up with anything and went back to messing around with the electronics.

Parker just hoped for his sake he didn't do anything to mess up the stereo system. For as non tech-savvy as Eliot was he did seem to have put a lot of effort into acquiring the best gear. The thief lost track of what the hacker was up to as she helped sweep the hardwood floor until hearing the triumphant cry of his job well done.

"You're not going to test it out?" Parker asked him.

"Nope." He replied letting his self preservation instinct kick in. "Put the rabbit away; we's gots to go."

"But… don't you want to be here when Eliot…?"

"No." Hardison responded assuredly.

"Too late." Eliot responded from the doorway.

"Eliot." Hardison jumped. "Hi."

"Hi." Eliot gave a threatening grin.

"This… this isn't what it… it… it was… Sophie… Sophie's idea." He stuttered. "The refurnishing; the couch, all her. Me... I just…" Hardison pointed toward the television.

"Uh huh." Eliot nodded suddenly aware of why Nate was so willing to drop him off at the front door.

"Do you like it?" Parker asked naively unaware of the intimidation Eliot was using on Hardison. Eliot looked around the room at the new reclining sofa, matching love seat and entertainment unit and genuinely smiled.

"Yeah."

"Yeah?" Hardison yelped before bringing his voice down a few octaves. "Yeah, of course, yeah, I mean I…"

"You?" Eliot questioned making his way to the couch. "Now do you want to take credit?"

"Well, I mean I did get you set up with over 70 different sports stations; available to you with a click of a button." Hardison passed the hitter an all purpose remote as he reclined back in his seat. Beth jumped up on the sofa as he sunk in.

"Thanks man, really." Eliot replied.

Hardison nodded to the genuine gratitude. "Well, we were just leaving."

"But…" Parker started to object.

"Parker, come on."

"No." Eliot responded.

"Huh?" Hardison questioned.

"Stay." He officially invited them. "I mean, I assume you brought over some flicks or a new geek friendly television series I could fall asleep to."

"Seriously?" The hacker was taken off guard as he pulled out a duffle of blu-ray disc sets. "Well I did bring something you might like. You like horror, right?"

"Depends." Eliot shrugged. "Either has to be somewhat believable or the chicks better have really good tits."

"Do you have any popcorn?" Parker asked him from the kitchen exploring his cabinets while ignoring the boys' conversation.

"Yeah it's…"

"Got it." She replied back.

Hardison handed Eliot the first season of a boxed set for him to examine.

"Two dudes? They look gay."

"They're brothers." Hardison corrected him.

Eliot's face contorted. "Even worse."

"Dude, it's not like that; if you're not interested then all you have to do is say so."

"Man, just put it in, will ya?" Eliot threw the case back at the hacker causing Hardison to snicker. For as much as Eliot liked to put on this gruff jock-like exterior he wasn't all that good at hiding the fact that he actually enjoyed the 'geek-friendly' TV shows. Part of him wanted to give the guy flack for keeping his lazy ass glued to the couch until he realized he was doing so by doctor's orders with considerable restraint.

"Hey E, care to turn the lights off?"

"Um…" Eliot responded starting to sit forward before Hardison pointed at the remote. "You didn't?"

Hardison grinned.

"Fuckin lazy assed technologically dependant society." Eliot mumbled.

"Hey, I resemble that remark!" Hardison turned on the television as Parker came over with freshly popped popcorn settling next to the hitter.

XXXXX

"How did it go?" Sophie asked over the phone as Nate pulled away from Eliot's complex.

"The procedure?" Nate clarified.

"Of course, what else would I be referring to?" She questioned.

"Oh, I don't know; the complete invasion of personal privacy yet again." Nate answered.

"Oh that! Yeah, how did that go?" She questioned.

"Don't know, didn't want to stick around to find out."

"Chicken." Sophie laughed.

"Who me? I don't see you facing up to your part in this." More than anything else Nate was ready to go back to his place and crash.

"I would, but I thought I'd give the kids a chance to play." Sophie explained. "And if you're not doing anything…?"

"Soph, I would. I really would, but…"

"You're exhausted. Yeah, I can hear it in your voice, but we don't have to do anything too strenuous."

Nate chuckled and surrendered. "Yeah, okay. Just give me a couple hours."

"If that's what you want." She responded. "I can figure out something to pass the time."

"See you later." Nate replied before ending the call after another tease from the grifter meant to occupy the imagination. He returned to his place cautious as she noticed his front door slightly ajar. "Buon giorno."

"How did you know?" She asked with the thick Italian accent.

"I expected you to turn up sooner or later. The answer is no; I'm not any closer to getting the goods on Moreau than I was the last time we spoke."

"Then you better get to work. The clock is ticking."

"Remove the battery." Nate directed keeping with that particular metaphor.

"Mi scusi? I'm not sure I caught that."

"Oh, I'm sure you got that just fine. I'm also sure that you know exactly what's been going on."

"I know your attention's been sidetracked by a small time Interpol agent instead of where it should be."

"Where it should be? You mean on one of the most dangerous men alive?" Nate clarified receiving a nod in reply.

"You were made well aware of the terms of this agreement."

"You need me." Nate threatened.

"I wouldn't be so sure…"

"You need me because I'm the best." Nate interrupted her. "I'm only the best because I work with the best and right now I'm a man down. I will _not_ risk…"

"You don't stop Moreau and they are all…"

"You do not want to finish that sentence!" Nate warned.

"Two months." She stated calmly before walking out.

xxxxxxx

**I am SOOOO sorry, the writing muse took a little vay-cay, but I have not given up on this one or Thief in the Garage. I promise! **


	117. Chapter 117

**I know, it's short, like really short, but I have not given up. Thank you all for the reviews! They are what are keeping me motivated to finish this epic tale. **

XXXXXX

Hardison watched as Eliot struggled to keep his eyes open watching the television. It was the third episode in and Parker had already been lulled to sleep by Eliot's touch as combed his fingers through her hair; her head resting on his lap.

"I can turn it off for a while." Hardison offered watching the hitter's head bob as the episode wrapped up.

"No; it's…"

"Admit it dude, you're hooked."

"It ain't bad." Eliot responded. "Nice ride."

"Riiight." Hardison laughed. "Hey, I was about to order in some grub, you want anything in particular?"

Eliot shook his head and slurred. "W'ever you want."

"E, you gotta eat something. Those antibiotics; they're worse on an empty stomach."

"I know. I… I'll eat." Eliot promised. "Actually, instead of ordering out…"

"Dude, I can't cook." Hardison cut him off.

Eliot snickered. "There's some lasagna in the freezer; all you gotta do is put it in the oven."

"Oven? That sounds an awful lot like cooking."

"You'd be doing me a favor. That thing stays in there any longer and it'll have to be thrown out with a major case of freezer burn."

"Can't have that." Hardison smiled. There was no way he could allow a homemade Spencer meal get tossed into the garbage. "So what do I do?"

"Preheat to 375 then leave it in there for an hour." Eliot directed.

"That's it? Okay, I think I can do that." The hacker nodded.

"We'll see." Eliot teased. "Burn down my kitchen and I will kill you."

"Go to sleep." Hardison retorted. "Ya jackass."

Eliot grinned before shutting his eyes succumbing to the pull of sleep. The hacker stood uncomfortably in the kitchen studying the oven as he tried to figure out of which buttons to press in order adjust the heat. 'It's just like a computer.' He repeated to himself. 'You got this.'

XXXXX

"Did you get a wink of sleep?" Sophie asked as she walked in on the mastermind staring down the base of his shot glass.

"No." He replied without moving his gaze.

"What's wrong?" She asked, not liking his forlorn expression. "Did the doctor call? Were there complications? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, no…" He answered; not sure which question he was answering. "Eliot's fine. At least I think… I haven't heard anything to the contrary."

"Should I try calling him?"

"No, I'm sure… I had a visitor."

"Oh?" She questioned before comprehension hit. "Oh."

"Two months." He whispered; shaking his head. "I was on hyper-drive throwing us into job after job with that due date in front of us, and then… it was like time stopped… the moment his heart did, and I knew weeks were passing. I just…"

"You don't have to explain it to me. I'm sure you made a compelling case for an extension."

Nate chuckled. "I tried."

"And?"

"And I was reminded just how expendable each and every one of us is. If we don't figure out a way to bring down Moreau I go back to prison and the rest of you…"

"We're thieves." Sophie cut him off. "Accidents happen all the time. So what do we do?"

Nate shook his head. He knew he was going to hate himself after the next statement. "It's time for a Ms. Annie Croix to schedule a meeting with the CEO of Café Esotico."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Not at all."

"What about…?"

"We don't tell him, at least not yet." Nate cautioned.


	118. Chapter 118

"Hey mama." Hardison whispered as Parker began to stir.

She pushed herself up and was about to say something before Hardison brought his finger to his lip warning her to keep the volume down. "How long?" She inquired pointing at the sleeping hitter.

"About a half hour."

"Wouldn't he be more comfortable in bed?" She asked quietly.

"We'll drag his ass there after dinner." Hardison replied.

"Tell me you're not cooking." She teased him.

"Actually, I am." Hardison gloated. "Just put the lasagna in the oven. $100,000 says you're going to eat it, and you're going to like it."

"The lasagna that Eliot had already made and was keeping in the freezer?" She figured him out.

"How did you…?"

"I was looking for popcorn."

"In the freezer?" He questioned to which she shrugged.

"I don't know where people keep that stuff." Parker admitted. She was used to keeping herself held up in a warehouse with shelves full of boxed cereal. "Besides, Eliot's weird, he keeps his garden on his roof… and someone should tell him his lettuce tastes funny."

"That's parsley." Hardison explained.

"Oh. Um… it's okay for Beth, right?" Parker questioned wearily having already fed some to the bunny.

"Yeah, it's fine." The hacker assured her. "Maybe even better for her."

"Good." She smiled. "Where is she?"

Hardison pointed to the gray fur ball in the corner. "She's been keeping me company while you two have been napping."

"See; I told you that you would grow to like her."

"We have an understanding." Hardison conceded. "She doesn't chew on my keyboard and I won't talk about rabbit stew."

"Like you could make stew." She stated irritably as Hardison's cell phone went off. He looked down to see Nate's number.

"Hang on, mama; I need to take this…" He pointed to the balcony outside leading to the roof access. Parker watched as he disappeared up the fire escape as she scooted over to pet the newest member of their family.

"Nate?" Hardison questioned as he answered.

"Are you alone?" Nate asked off the bat.

"Yeah; I mean, no one can hear me. I'm still at E's. Can you believe he invited us to stay? I'll give you guy's permission to say I told you so; I think that intervention thing worked!"

"That's… that's good. How's he doing?"

"Um… okay. I mean, for real okay. You know, versus 'hacking up his lungs and spitting out blood' okay. He's sounding better; his breathing is clearer. He's sleeping right now. Is that what this is about? Checking up on him?"

"Not entirely." Nate admitted. "I need you to email me all the information you have on Café Esotico."

"Nate, no! We're not picking up another case, not now!" Hardison objected.

"You're not. Sophie and I are." Nate responded.

"Nate…"

"I need you and Parker to stay back and make sure he's doing what he's supposed to. I'll let you know if we need any technical support, but we have this. We'll start with Moretti…"

"Why? Why now… I don't…" Hardison stuttered. "He has a couple weeks on the antibiotic. A little longer to rest up, and he should be fine."

"We don't have that time. That was made perfectly clear." Nate stated quietly.

"You saw her?"

"Yeah." The mastermind replied. "I've already booked our tickets to Italy; Sophie is using her contacts to schedule a meeting with the CEO. Aliases are set. I just need that information."

"I don't like this." Hardison replied.

"Neither do I." Nate admitted. "But I need your help."

"What do I tell him… and Parker? Do I tell Parker?"

"The less people that know, the better; Eliot reads people almost as well as Sophie does."

"So I get to be the one that lies to him; wonderful. That can't possibly go wrong."

"Keep it simple; tell him that we called you to assume the aliases for a vacation. We decided with the time off we needed to figure out what 'we were' before it got messy and hurt the group. We're a phone call away if he needs anything, which, because he's him, he won't use."

"And if he asks where you're going?"

"He probably won't." Nate responded. "As soon as you bring up the fact that it's relational, he'll back off. If he does ask, tell him you don't know or have him call one of us."

Hardison took a deep breath and shook his head. "You're gonna owe me… big time! I'm talking a new home theatre with surround sound that can blow your ear drums out from down the block big!"

"Thank you!" Nate expressed.

"You guys get yourself hurt or killed and I'll bring your asses back just to sic Megabit on them." Hardison threatened.

"We'll be careful."

"You better or it'll be my funeral you're going to when Eliot finds out."

Nate snickered. "Just get us that information."

"You think I'm kidding..."

"I'll talk to you later, Hardison."

Hardison took another minute outside to mentally process and assure himself that he could walk back in the loft without raising suspicions. He hated lying to people, well, okay, he hated lying to the people that he trusted to have his back. He had to admit that he made a career out of lying to other people.

"What did Nate want?" Parker asked as soon as Hardison reappeared.

"Who said that was Nate?" He questioned.

"Who else would it have been?" Parker posed. "I mean sure you have your gnomes and hobbit friends online, but…"

"Orcs… they're called orcs."

Parker glanced back with an 'I rest my case' smirk.

"Fine. Yes, that was Nate, and apparently I'm the only one in this team that knows how to use 'cause he just asked me to purchase first class tickets for two to some remote vacation spot."

"What? Now?"

"That's what I said, but I think Sophie convinced him this may be there best chance to define what they are to each other." He explained, again, hating the fact that he was lying; however, realizing that if Parker bought it there would be a better chance of convincing Eliot of the same thing.

"What does that mean?" She looked confused.

"Well, it's no secret that things have changed between them."

"Like… the date?"

"Yeah, the date… and other stuff." He responded as if he was explaining it to a child. "Typically before that 'other stuff' happens people define what their relationship status is. Take Eliot, for example, any woman going into a date with him know that it's a simple tryst; one night, maybe two, but nothing long standing."

"Why?"

"He likes to avoid complication; as soon as you enter a relationship it gets complicated."

"So, then, why would Sophie and Nate want to define their relationship if that's just going to complicate things?"

"Because once that 'other stuff' happens not defining it makes it messy. One person will assume it is one thing, while the other expects it to be something else; that first person will be more invested and ends up with their heart broken when they do finally talk about it which would destroy any chance of retaining a working relationship. And… complicated isn't always a bad thing, messy is."

"Oh, so then, if you like a co-worker, are you better off telling them or just keeping it to yourself?"

"It depends." Hardison responded; not liking the direction this conversation was going.

"On what?"

"On whether or not you can handle being shot down." Hardison replied. "The best case scenario is always that the other person feels exactly the same way for you that you feel for them. Unfortunately, very rarely is that the case. Personally, between Nate and Sophie I think it is, but I also think there's too much past shit for either one of them to have the good sense to just be happy and make the most of it."

"You're rambling." Parker pointed out.

"Point is that getting rejected also creates a major problem in the work place. So if you're going to tell a colleague how you feel then you need to know that you can show up the next day and do your job regardless of how they respond, especially in this line of work." He said seriously. "Our safety is on the line. If things get awkward, if people are distracted, it could be a matter of life or death."

"I know; I wasn't saying that I… I mean, I didn't mean… me… just, if it did… it's just… Sophie says I need to know more about the inner workings of social relationships if I'm going to learn to be a better grifter. I would rather just stay in the vents and break into the vault, but Nate pointed out that there have been cases that we've needed more than one female role."

"Riiight." Hardison responded, refraining from pointing out that she was now the person rambling. They both heard Eliot cough and looked over to watch him reposition before falling back asleep. "He does, you know, care. It's just…"

"I know." Parker responded.

"Anyway…" He pointed at his computer. "Tickets."

"Right; you should get to that."

"I should."

"Before things get messy."

"Exactly." He responded as she knelt down to pick up the bunny, oblivious to just how messy things could actually get. 'God dammit Nate, you better know what you're doing' he swore to himself.


	119. Chapter 119

"Hey man, it's time to wake up." Hardison prodded the hitter.

Eliot groaned as he shifted; rubbing his eyes. "How long was I out?" He asked; his voice hoarse.

"Not long enough, apparently." Hardison observed. "But you need to take your meds and dinner's ready. It's cooling down at the moment."

"Kay." Eliot replied as he moved to stand up cringing at the soreness in his back.

"Whoa, man, take it easy. Where are you going?"

"Bathroom. That is, if that's okay with you." He responded sarcastically.

"Yea, yea; I mean, of course." Hardison backed off as he resisted the urge to assist his ailing friend.

"He's okay." Parker whispered to him as soon as Eliot disappeared from his view.

"We keep saying that." Hardison responded. "And then something else pops up before he has the chance to recover. No wonder it got to this point…"

"This time is different." Parker replied.

"Is it?"

"Unless there's something you're not saying." Parker observed.

"No." He answered a little too quickly. He took in a careful breath. "No. It's just… maybe I'm a little nervous without Nate and Sophie here. He's not exactly known to take directives from me."

"Then do what I do." She advised. "Don't tell him… ask him."

"Yea, well, unfortunately I don't come equipped with a cute little puppy dog pout."

"But you do come equipped with hours upon hours of distraction." Parker lifted the DVD case. "And you're seeing the same thing I am. He's letting us in, so just… take it."

"Without wondering when the other shoe is going to drop?"

Parker nodded her affirmation.

"Okay… okay." He conceded.

"Besides it's not like we have another case coming up; our mastermind is officially on vacation."

"Well, he will be as soon as…"

"What do you mean?" Eliot asked rounding the corner from the bathroom.

"Um… yea." Hardison spoke up. "I just got a call from Nate. He and Sophie are taking some time away while you recover. Flight takes off in a couple hours."

"Flight where?" Eliot questioned suspiciously.

"Down the coast… sounds like they're going to sail out from there. He wouldn't tell me where exactly… just…hinted that they, um… well, they wanted to um…"

"'Define their relationship'." Parker interrupted signaling with quotations before whispering to Hardison. "Did I use that right?"

"Close enough." He responded back. "That was just, you know, kind of… the vibe I got."

"Ah huh." Eliot responded unsure. It didn't really seem like Nate to take off so soon after just returning to the states; it did; however, sound a lot like Sophie to want to vacation to some remote island.

"You don't think they would…" Hardison knew this was going to be difficult to pull off so he decided to deflect the possibility of deception to Nate and Sophie.

"No, I just assumed he'd be dragging me into my appointment Thursday holding my hand."

Hardison laughed at that mental image. "Yeah, well, he did ask me to look out for your stubborn ass. So, since my hide is on the line, I'd appreciate it immensely if you just follow what the doctor told you."

"Believe it or not, I don't actually like being sick." Eliot chuckled; trying not to cough as he did. He had taken his meds in the privacy of his bathroom and it seemed the combination of the inhaler and movement served to break up fluid that had settled in his lungs as he slept.

"Really? Could've fooled me." Hardison joked back. "Comeon bro, why don't you sit down? You're making me ache just looking at you."

"I don't." He reiterated, parking his ass back on the couch while grumbling. "I hate everything 'bout it."

"Yea, yeah… suck it up, Sparky." Parker handed him his dinner plate and smirked. "Must be so awful having people wait on you hand and foot."

"Ya know, if you really hate it so much then why would you…"

Eliot cut Hardison off. "Now you sound like my fuckin' doctor. Alright? I get it, I fucked up; apparently, I'm human."

Parker starting poking at his flesh to make sure until he batted her hand away.

"You want to say that again? I'm… I'm not sure I caught that." Hardison teased him. Eliot rolled his eyes. "Look, E, it's not a matter of making one mistake. I mean, we get that. I would even go on record saying we caused that."

"It's not your…"

"Can I talk?" Hardison stopped him. "Yeah, it was our fault. We all took for granted the physical limitations of a human body. We go into every mission thinking, deep down, it's okay if we mess up because we have Eliot there to back us up. We have Eliot there to make it's all alright. Somehow we just expected you to be this super hero that couldn't falter; a character that could get thrown through a wall and dust himself off before stepping back in a saving the day. And because we expected it; because we needed it, you did it. No questions, no qualms, you just stepped in."

"That's my job." Eliot stated quietly.

"But…" This time Parker spoke up. "We kind of need you for the long haul."

"Which means you gotta speak up." Hardison added. "You gotta tell us what you need; we sort of suck at figuring that out for ourselves."

"If I promise to tell you, will you promise to trust me?" Eliot questioned. "I know… I know that's been broken."

"Eliot, we trust you to have our backs." Parker responded. "More than anything, we trust that."

"I know that." Eliot assured her. "But I also need you to trust that when I say I'm okay; I'm okay. That when I say I need space, it means I need space."

"Um… I don't suppose we could clarify the definition of okay to not include broken limbs or internal bleeding?" Hardison posed as a suggestion.

"I think I can handle that." Eliot responded.

"No raging fevers…" Hardison added. "Or debilitating coughs."

"Well, what are we really counting as debilitating?"

"Eliot…" Parker warned.

"Fine." He conceded.

"No fractures regardless of how small." Parker recounted where this started.

"Okay, now that I can't give you." Eliot argued before divulging his secret. "I'm always sore. Your body doesn't go through what mine has without residual pain. Honestly, I didn't know about the fracture."

Both Parker and Hardison gazed back fearfully. "If you don't know then how…?" Parker questioned.

"I didn't know about the fracture, but I could have prevented the spread of the infection." He admitted. "All I would have needed was ten days' worth of antibiotics a week prior."

"Do you really hate doctors that much?" Parker asked him.

"Maybe." He chuckled. "Nah; I just knew the prescription was gonna come with a warning to take a few days off; I thought I could push it back. I told ya; I fucked up."

"And then you kept repeating the pattern." Hardison relayed the point he was trying to make earlier. "You were in no condition to go to Myanmar, you did it anyway, and then… you have this idea that you're expendable."

"You're not!" Parker added.

"I'm still working my way through that one." Eliot confessed. "Look, I can't promise that I won't step in front of a bullet meant for either one of you, but I can promise that if I'm not feeling up to a job, if I cannot perform to the best of my ability, I will let someone know."

"You are going to attempt disarming the guy first…?" Parker interjected.

"Of course."

"I think that's the best we're going to get." Parker looked to Hardison.

"I think so." He agreed before pondering the implication. "Okay, fine; I'll accept that."

"Me too." She playfully smacked his bicep causing a grimace.

"So, we're good?" Eliot questioned.

"Yeah man, we're good."

"I don't suppose we could watch another episode while finishing off dinner." Eliot posed.

"Told ya you were hooked." Hardison smirked as he turned on the television.

Eliot laughed. "Nah, I figured I should distract ya'all with something before this concluded with a rousing chorus of kumbaya."

"Sure you did." Hardison voiced trailed as the episode began.


	120. Chapter 120

For the first time in what had to be over a month Eliot woke up nestled within the soft comfort of his Egyptian cotton sheets that covered his custom ordered posture-pedic mattress. For a man that claimed not to get in more than ninety minutes of sleep a day he had put a lot of stock in the quality of the rest he was getting. Eliot looked over at the alarm clock with hazy vision realizing that he couldn't recall how he had made it to the bedroom nor when it was that he last took his meds but knowing he was due.

He forced himself out of bed trying to ignore the soreness in his back that impeded on his normal range of vision. Apparently, even the best that money could buy wasn't enough to counteract the discomfort of repeatedly being stabbed by a six inch needle. Eliot got a good, hard, look at himself in the mirror trying to remember the last time he actually liked the image looking back at him. Not for lack of vanity; he knew he was a good looking guy, but the person he was disappeared a long time ago. Every once in a while he got a glimpse of that person through the work he did with the team. A team he found himself depending more and more on, and that scared him more than anything else.

Eliot chuckled at the thought of what the 'great and invincible Eliot Spencer' had become. He was completely taken down, almost killed, by his own fear and insecurity. Shaking off the thought he took his meds and made his way to the kitchen to see if there was anything he could put together for breakfast before hearing a knock on his door. He looked through the peep hole to find Hardison standing outside with coffee and a box of doughnuts.

"I come baring gifts." Hardison stated walking through the door as the hitter held it open for him. "Or… food."

"Even better." Eliot smirked.

"Does that mean there're traces of an appetite coming back?"

Eliot shrugged. "Just took my antibiotics."

"Oh." Hardison replied hoping to hide his dejection.

"But… maybe traces." He stated as he pointed out the fact that he was sitting his ass down on the couch like a good boy while stuffing a doughnut in his mouth. "What? You're not going to ask me how I'm doin'?"

"Wasn't planning on it." Hardison admitted. "It makes it harder for you to lie that way."

"I wasn't going to…"

"Brush off; say you're fine. Look, I can tell by looking at you that you're feeling better; sore, but better. Not completely fine, yet."

Eliot raised his eyes at the hacker's power of observation.

"Yea, that's right, I notice. You could at least give me that much credit."

The hitter chuckled. "Okay. I concede. So, I don't suppose I could get you to do me a favor?"

"Um… depends on the kind of favor?"

"The kind that involves going to a grocery store and picking up a few things; I'm kind of bare boning it here."

"Eliot, you know you're not supposed to be…"

"I ain't talkin' about making any gourmet meals, but I ain't heating up a hot pocket either. Besides, I could always just go myself."

"Man, that ain't right." He replied accepting the request. "Jerk!"

Eliot laughed before taking the bait, silently telling himself that maybe having a little brother wasn't so bad. "Bitch."

Hardison held up the box set receiving a nod from the hitter. Yep, he was hooked.

"Where's Parker?" Eliot asked as Hardison inserted the second disk.

"Um… I don't know. Figured she might be here. Why?"

"No reason." He shrugged, a little surprised that she hadn't made an appearance, especially with Sophie out of town.

"Hey E, you don't… feel… um…"

"Feel what?" He questioned.

"You know… the way you think… it hasn't…?" Hardison rambled.

"Are you asking me if I like Parker?"

"Well, I… ah… She… Do you?"

Eliot blinked a few times before coming up with a response. "She's like a sister. Crazy and annoying as all hell, but love her all the same."

"But… that's it?"

"Yea, that's it; why?"

"I… I think you may need to tell her that." Hardison suggested. "I mean… I don't know if it's sexual. I don't even know if she thinks about that, but there's more than just hero worship. Something changed when she thought she could lose you; it's like she realized that she'd be losing a part of herself. I mean, we all took it hard, but…"

"Yea." Eliot understood. "I will; I'll talk to her. How are you holdin' up with all of this?"

Hardison shrugged. "Fine." He smiled knowing he just gave the patented Eliot Spencer line. "Naw, I mean, yea it stings, but I just want that girl to be happy. She deserves it."

Eliot couldn't argue with that one. Although, she was barking up the wrong tree if she thought she could find it with him. He knew full well how that would end up, and it wouldn't be pretty. "Unfortunately, most people can't spot a good thing when it's staring right at them." He offered instead, sipping on his coffee.

Hardison rested his head back as the episode started. "Thanks, man."

**XXXXX**

**E/P fans – I'm sorry!**

**Again, I want to thank all of you for your support and such kind comments. A special thanks going out to Buddi563 who made a youtube vid for me that you should all check out. **

**.com/watch?v=uo45EHpqNs4**

**If the link doesn't work then type in "Leverage- Forced Vacation- Fanfiction Trailer". Awesome clips tying the premise of the story together with a song from one of my favorite artists (that she didn't know ahead of time). **


	121. Chapter 121

"Dude, seriously, go to bed." Hardison watched the hitter's head bob.

"'M 'kay." Eliot responded wearily. "Just woke up."

"Yeah, four hours ago." Hardison argued. "Go to bed, and I'll get the shopping done."

"Fine." He conceded hating how tired the new meds seemed to be making him, although, the fever did seem to be finally lifting up which was a check in the win column.

"Good." The hacker nodded while giving himself a silent pat on the back. "Call me if you need anything else."

"You know any sultry brunettes proficient in shiatsu?" Eliot grinned.

"Seriously?"

"Or blonde; redhead. I ain't picky."

"You mean you don't have someone on speed dial?"

Eliot stopped to think. "Well…"

"Man, just go to bed." He repeated before shutting the door behind him.

Eliot laughed before grabbing a glass of water and making his way back to his room when he spotted his personal cell that had been left behind in the chaos that was bringing him to the hospital and then apprehended in Sterling's custody. He plugged the devise into his charger before taking another dose of medication and then dialed into his voicemail alarmed when the operator reported 32 missed messages. He didn't have that many pals looking to schedule a Friday night poker game.

'Eliot, it's me… it's Aimee. I tried calling the hospital and they told me you left. Are you out of your ever lovin' mind? Look, about the blow off, don't think this conversation is done. Just, call me.'

'Fuck' Eliot thought as he listened to the next message.

'El, we're not twelve-years-old anymore the silent treatment isn't going to work, just talk to me, okay?'

With each voicemail the apprehension became more apparent.

'Eliot, I'm seriously starting to get worried. Just let me know that you're okay. A text, an e-mail; leave a message with my dad, I don't care.'

'Son, this is Willie. I just got a call from my frantic daughter sayin that you might be avoidin her. Now, I don't care to get between your twos personal business, but she did express concern that you mighta gone off and got yerself killed or the like. So if you could just give this ol' man a call and let me know that you're not dead somewhere it'd be much appreciated.'

'I get it, okay, I do. You don't want me worried every time the phone rings that it's gonna be news that the latest 'job', I don't know, is that even the right word? The latest score, con, whatever… didn't… end well.' He could hear the tears in her voice. 'And you… ya gotta point there. I do worry; all the time, but knowing it isn't going to come doesn't make me worry any less. It doesn't make me care any less, El. I will always care about you. I will always la… Look, I've already lost my best friend, don't make me lose you."

Eliot could feel his throat start to tighten up listening to the plea. Between messages were old army buddies letting him know when they'd be in town. He was about to hung up the phone when Aimee's next message began.

'El, it's been weeks since I've heard anything. Please, give me some kind of indication that you're out there. If you don't… El, I swear if you don't… I'll call your dad. I'm… I know things… just, please?'

Eliot looked over to the date on his prescription realizing the call was made four days prior. His heart froze when he heard the next message was from 'Michael Spencer'. He quickly disconnected the call and threw the phone across the room watching as the battery fell out the back.

"What did it do to you?" He heard from behind him.

"Parker?" He questioned, turning around to see the thief in the doorway. "I… what…?"

"I came to visit Beth." She explained. "The door was open."

"It's okay." He excused the invasion of privacy.

"Eliot, what's wrong? Who was it?"

"I hate those things." He confessed ignoring the question.

"What? Telephones? I mean, I get that you're kind of the anti-hacker here, but seriously? If you don't want to talk to someone just ignore the call or turn it off, no ninjitsu required." She emphasized the point with her own karate chop like move causing the hitter to crack a smile. Seeing the window of opportunity she nudged him. "So, who was it?"

"My dad."

"Wha… what did he say?" She asked figuring he hadn't heard the man's voice in approximately nine years.

"I don't know."

"You didn't…?"

"I can't." He interrupted her.

"Eliot, has he tried calling before?" She asked him wondering how long he's been stuck in his own guilt ridden grief to accept an apology from his parents.

The hitter shrugged. "A few times. Usually on my birthday… would keep the phone off."

"Have you listened to a single message?"

Eliot shook his head.

"I never in a million years thought I'd live to see the day you could be called a coward." She responded.

"Oh… you wanna say that again?" He sneered back threateningly.

Parker stepped forward looking straight into his eyes and replied. "Coward."

"Don't think I won't hit you."

"Hit me." She challenged him. "It doesn't change the fact that you're a yellow belly chicken."

Eliot ran a hand through his hair frustrated at the fact that she was one or very few people that could get away with uttering those words without retaliation, instead he simply glared back until caving to his own physical demands and laying back against the headboard.

"What are you more afraid of?" Parker asked him sitting on the bed beside him. "He won't forgive you, or that he will?"

"Parker, I don't want…"

"Do you have any idea what it would mean to me to know there's a parent out there that loves me unconditionally? If even one of foster parents would have shown just a smidge of patience… acted like I was more than just a government paycheck… then maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have turned out…"

"Hey, I kinda like the way you turned out." He nudged her.

"Just listen to the message, Sparky." She went full-on doe eyes on him. "You don't have to return the call, just listen… for me."

"That's cruel." He gave a half smile. "You have no idea how much you remind me of her."

"Smart and courageous?" Parker offered her own adjectives.

"Exasperating and annoying." He refuted.

"That's the same word." She responded.

"Fine… intrusive and maddening."

"Does that mean you're going to do it?"

"Yeah." He replied softly. "But first I need to make a call before we see my picture on some milk carton."

xxxxx

**So, who's looking forward to the start of season five (Tomorrow night in the US) and the release of season 4 DVD? ~raises hand~ Apparently TNT hasn't done a lot of promotion of Leverage this summer, so it really is up to us fans to get word out and the numbers up for sixth season. **

**Thanks again to my faithful followers, some nice E/P in this latest chapter... I know, withdraws, right? Before anyone asks, no this is not going to end with an Eliot/Aimee reunion. **


	122. Chapter 122

"Well, it could have been worse." Parker stated after listening to Eliot explain the predicament with Aimee.

"Really? How?" He questioned still enraged that she went as far as contacting his father after a conversation that, for all intents and purposes, was to sever communication completely.

"She could have called a PI." Parker countered.

Eliot groaned at the thought. The last thing he needed was a PI digging into his life. "Yeah, okay, I should really call before she does. If you don't mind…?"

"I'll go." She pointed her way out. "Just going to say hi to Beth…"

"Parker." He stopped her as she reached the doorway. "You don't have to go, go, just give me a few minutes."

"Oh." She nodded allowing him his space.

Eliot shifted to the other side of the bed to pick up the pieces of his cell and put it back together hoping that the force of the wall didn't do irreparable harm to the devise. He raked his hand through his hair forcing his eyes to stay open as the screen lit up.

"Hello." He heard a male voice from the other end. "This is Aimee's phone."

"Is Aimee there?" Eliot asked figuring he was speaking to the 'new guy'.

"She's busy, can I take a message?"

"Um…" Eliot hesitated on what to do, wondering if she was busy why they wouldn't just let him leave a voicemail. "It's kinda important."

'Ned, who is it?' He heard her ask in the background.

"I'm sorry, she's driving." He explained. "Um… who is this?"

"It's Eliot. Tell her I'm okay, and to call me when she can." Eliot explained before hanging up. 'Hope that doesn't cause an international incident.' He thought to himself as sagged back into his pillows. He glanced down at his phone debating on listening to the voicemail before setting it down and allowing his eyelids to close.

XXXXX

"Nate, man, don't ask me to do this. You know how much I hate lying to them." Hardison stated back at his van with groceries piled up in the back.

"Hardison, you can do this." Nate assured him. "You know I wouldn't ask…"

"If it wasn't important." Hardison finished, rolling his eyes. "What do you need?"

"While Sophie was in Moretti's office she used your software to clone his phone. There are some encrypted files in there."

"You want me to decrypt the files to get the goods on Moreau."

"Potentially." Nate responded.

"You guys are okay, right? I mean, not generating unsolicited attention?"

"We're keeping this as discreet as we can. My hope is that we can high-tail it out of here before Moreau knows what hit him."

"Nathan Ford not sticking around for the gloat?" Hardison teased.

"It could happen." Nate assured him.

"Ah huh." The hacker replied back sarcastically. "When did you need this back?"

"As soon as you can get it. Hardison, tha…"

"You wanna know how you can thank me? Get this done, and get back here in one piece." He cut him off.

"I know you don't like this."

"Ya damn right I don't like this. We're a team. We work best as a team. History has shown as soon as one person starts pulling their own con all hell breaks loose."

"You guys went a whole summer without me, just the four of you. Now, it's you, me, and Sophie, we can handle a simple con."

"A simple con, yeah, but we're not talking a simple con, we're talking about taking down Damien effin' Moreau."

"The strategy is the same. Hardison, I promise, if it gets too dangerous we'll pull out and try something else."

"Okay." The hacker agreed. "I'll send you the info when I get it. Don't say thank you!"

"I'll keep in touch."

"You do that." Hardison ended the call in a huff before driving back to Eliot's.

XXXXX

Hardison started to put down the grocery bags when the door swung open. "Dang it, you're supposed to be, oh… Parker."

"I'm supposed to be what?" Parker asked helping him bring the bags into the kitchen.

"I thought you were Eliot." Hardison explained.

"Oh, he's sleeping." She responded, and then defended herself. "He told me I could stay."

"Relax mama, I believe you. Do you know when he fell asleep?"

She shrugged. "About a half hour ago. He asked me to give him a minute and then he was out. I don't even think he listened to the message yet."

"What message?" Hardison asked her.

"His dad called."

"His what?" He questioned. "Like his actually fa…? Wah..? Why now?"

"I don't know." She threw her arms out as if she had been accused of something. "He didn't listen to the message."

"After nine years of not speaking to the man why would he call now?" Hardison tried a different approach.

"You're asking me about the human condition?" She threw back. "Maybe Aimee told him to."

Hardison glared back enticing her to say more.

"Aimee was worried when Eliot disappeared from the hospital."

"And Eliot didn't listen to the message."

"He told he would after calling Aimee back, but then he fell asleep."

"Thank God for small favors."

"Why? You don't think he should?" Parker asked him.

"No. I think him knowing what was said could open a whole 'nother can of worms, but we have no way of knowing that unless we know what's on the message."

"See, I just heard a bunch of no's." She shook her head.

"Ultimately it's his decision." Hardison countered. "But I actually have some stuff to do, so if you wouldn't mind helping me put the food away…"

"What kind of stuff?" She asked while putting milk into the fridge.

"Um, just… stuff."

"You're going to play with your elves again aren't you?"

"Orcs, Parker, I told you, they're orcs."

"Can I play? I wanna be something that flies, like a unicorn or fairy… do elves fly?"

"No, they don't… they… look, we can create a character later, there's just something I need to finish up first."

"You're not going to stay?" She asked him.

"I think we should both let him sleep."

"He said…"

"I know, but we also need to respect his space. Just… I don't want to overstay our welcome. We can call at dinnertime and see if he's up for visitation."

Parker pondered the idea thinking back to the way he reacted to being over crowded in Thailand and then England. "We'll call?"

Hardison nodded.

"Okay, but you're going to show me how to fly?"

"Something like that." He conceded.

**XXXXX**

**Hey, me again. Just wanted to send my sincerest condolences anyone effected by the events of July 20th. ~ Becki**


	123. Chapter 123

Eliot woke up to the sound of his cell phone ringing. He looked over at the clock with blurry vision attempting to assess how long he had been out.

"Hello?" Eliot answered with a crack in his voice.

"Well I'm not sure if I would jump to 'okay', but at least you're alive." Aimee answered on the other end. "Eliot, where the hell have you been?"

"I had to go underground until a situation was taken care of." He answered as generally as possible.

"From the hospital?"

"Yes, from the hospital." He replied annoyed. "And I didn't have time to go home and grab my phone."

"Eliot, I'm sorry if I caused problems. I didn't mean to hurt you; I was worried."

"Yeah, I got that." He replied sarcastically.

"You're mad." She deduced.

Eliot took a deep breath before responding back. "I'm not… mad. Aim, that last conversation; that was supposed to be it."

"Why? Because you said so?"

"Yes!" He snapped back.

"Yeah, well, it doesn't work that way. El, you can turn your back and walk away all you want. You can avoid calls and change your name or social security number, but it doesn't mean the people walk away from stop caring about you." She explained. "It doesn't stop them from lying awake at night wondering if you're out there hurting. Eliot, the last time I talked to you was just hours after your heart stopped, you can't blame me for being worried."

"You keep using the word 'worried', Aim, that's outright 'frantic' and borderline 'obsessed'. I can't imagine Ned was all that thrilled about your reaction."

"Actually, he appreciates the fact that I'm passionate." She argued. "I'm pretty sure at one point you did too."

Eliot smiled as memories poured in.

"Fact is you're not getting rid of me, okay? So, get that outta your head. I can be more stubborn than you and you know it."

"Or what, you're gonna call my dad again?"

"Maybe." She responded coyly. "How long has it been since you've talked to him?"

"You know the answer to that."

"He misses you, El. They both do. I know things were said…"

"No, you really don't know." He replied back callously.

"I don't? Why don't you tell me then?" She waited for his answer. "Your right, I wasn't there. You were long gone when I showed up… and your parents were a wreck."

"They tell ya what happened?" Eliot asked her.

"Not directly. That night I stayed with you ma while my dad took Mike out. After a few drinks he um… told him everything. El, I don't blame you for being angry, hell, I had a hard time looking into Jani's eyes after I heard… but what was said, that was grief talking."

"I know it was." Eliot admitted. "I'm not angry. I was never angry, or, not at them. They were right. He said it then, and it's still true now, it's better that I go. Comeon Aim, what have I done for you but bring pain and heartbreak?"

"Is that all you remember?" She asked him. "Cause I happen to remember plenty of times where we were rollin' around in the hay laughing and smiling. I remember going out for long rides watching the sunset in horizon. I remember scooting around in the kitchen making pie while you were slicing onions in your mama's apron. But I suppose if all you remember was the bad stuff, then I suppose I understand why it's so easy to walk away."

"It's not." He said so quietly she could barely make it out. "It's not easy, but I hafta."

"No, no you don't." She assured him. "You can't undo what was done, but it ain't over, not yet. If you need anything, just give me a call."

Eliot swallowed down the lump forming in his throat. "Yeah, okay."

"Ya promise. You're not gonna go disappearin' on me?"

"That seems a little fruitless now doesn't it?"

"Got that right." She smirked.

XXXXX

"This seems like a bunch of walking." Parker complained as she held the controller in her hand. "When do I get to steal something?"

"We have to figure out our mission first." Hardison explained.

"Our mission? You said I was a Rouge, doesn't that mean I get to do whatever I want?"

"You're not getting into this are you?" He asked her.

Parker shook her head no, not understanding the thrill of pressing a button to hit and kick things when she was fully capable of doing that herself.

"Alright mama, what do you want to do?" He asked her as he turned off the game.

"Can we call him?" She asked pointing out the fact that it was closing in on dinner time.

"Yeah, go for it. I just need ta…" He attempted to give an excuse as she wondered off to make the call. The program he was running to crack Moretti's code had successfully completed which meant sending the files back to Nate to interpret. 'Here's hoping for something.' He mumbled to himself.

"He says we can come over." Parker announced skipping into the hacker's home theatre, or what one would typically call a living room.

"Did he want us to bring anything?" Hardison asked.

"No, or… just that DVD you were watching." She answered.

"Who's the geek boy now?" He snickered to himself.


	124. Chapter 124

"E, what are you doing now?" Hardison asked as he and Parker walked through the hitter's door after the ''S open!' invitation to do so.

"Sitting." Eliot indicated. "I was told bed, bathroom, couch; this is a couch."

"I'm aware of that, thank you." Hardison responded to the condescending tone. "I was referring to the free weights in front of the couch."

"Um… physical therapy?" He offered. "Seriously man, tell me that we're not going to make an issue out of this."

"No." Hardison backed off. "You know your limits better than I do. How is the shoulder?"

Eliot lifted the ailing limb a couple times before answering. Most of the lingering pain appeared to be dulled. "Stiff. Weak…"

"I'd hardly say anything about you is weak." Hardison responded as he took a seat on the couch. Parker strolled over to the rabbit's cage ignoring the conversation between the boys to allow Beth to hop out on her own.

"Thanks." Eliot grumbled, not feeling particularly physically or emotionally strong at the moment. "You heard from Nate at all?"

"No!" Hardison answered too quickly and defensively. "Why would I…? I mean… vacation… they wouldn't…"

"What's wrong with you?" Eliot asked confused. "Was just wondering if they told you they landed safely."

"Oh." Hardison responded with some relief. "No; I mean, they haven't said anything, probably just… you know, want to be left alone."

"Yeah, probably." Eliot responded still feeling his spidey senses tingling.

"Did you listen to the message?" Parker asked from across the room.

"No." He answered simply.

"Eliot, you promised! You said…"

"I know what I said." He cut her off. "It's just… complicated."

"What's so complicated about checking a voicemail?" Parker questioned picking up his phone. The thought of 'how did she get her hands on that went' through the hitter's mind, but he stopped himself from verbalizing it. "You press 'one' and then…"

"Parker, stop!" Eliot reacted before she pressed the 'talk' button.

"God damn, man, you okay?" Hardison watched as the hitter appeared to be shaken to the core by the mere thought of listening to the message.

Eliot nodded slightly as the thief set the phone down.

"You sure? 'Cause I'm having a hard time reconciling this with the man that doesn't so much as blink when a gun is held up on him."

Eliot ranked his hand through his hair unable to come up with a response except, "It's my dad."

"The one person in this world that can make you feel like a powerless little boy." Hardison guessed, receiving a nod from the hitter.

"What's the worst that he could say?" Parker asked him.

Eliot pondered the question before answering. "I guess… that he's disappointed in me. It's not like I haven't given him good cause."

"Right… 'Cause that's the first thing I would say to the child I hadn't spoken to in nine years." Hardison responded back sarcastically. "The kid that I have every reason to believe may be dead, that's… that's exactly what I would leave on his voicemail. 'Hey son, I'm calling because your ex is scared shitless, and to let you know how disappointed I am in your life decisions. Call me back so I can tell you more about it'."

Eliot put his head down trying to hide the smirk on his face.

"Oh look, he's smiling!" Parker pointed out.

"Dude, he's worried about you. That's the only reason to call. He probably feels like he's lost his chance to tell you all the things that he meant to say almost a decade ago. Now, if you can't face that then don't… but don't think you're not going to regret it later."

"Fine." He held his hand out waiting for Parker to throw him the cell before standing up to retreat to his room. "There're some cold cuts in the fridge. Feel free to make yourselves a sandwich."

The hitter sat on the bed mentally berating himself for being such a pansy before finally succeeding in pushing the damn talk button. He fought the urge to turn it off again when he heard his father's name on the recording. It seemed his dad was just as hesitant about interacting as he was since the first fifteen seconds or so of the recording were silent. "Eliot… son, I don't know what to say or if you're even going to get this. For the longest time I thought that I had lost my chance to apologize. Son, I… and then a couple of years ago while talking to Willie he let it slip that you had helped him out; got him back on his feet. He told me you were running with a new crew and… well, you were happy, and I thought I could live with that. Just knowing you were safe was enough, but ah… Aimee seems to think you may have gotten yourself into some trouble. I just… I can't… I don't want you leaving this world thinking that I don't love you. My God, I hope this isn't goodbye."

Eliot allowed a single tear to stroll down his face as he listened to the message a second time. After giving himself a few moments he looked up half expecting to see Parker standing in his doorway. Silently thanking her for the privacy he took his evening dosage before meeting the younger two in the kitchen.

"What do you want on your sandwich?" Parker asked. Toppings were displayed on his counter while she had the dinner rolls toasting on the stove top.

"Parker… how did you…?"

"I learned from the best." She smiled. "So, what have you?"


	125. Chapter 125

**I am so, so, so, soooo sorry it's taken so long. I promise the next post will be much longer, and much shorter wait. No I have not given up on either this one or Thief in the Garage, and plan on finishing them before taking on any other writing projects.**

**xxxxxxxx**

Hardison was so engaged in his game that he didn't even notice the sun rising outside his window. Only the grumble of his stomach alerted him to the passing of hours. He got up from his seat to warm a breakfast burrito in his microwave when he heard his cell vibrating from the desk. He ambled over confused as to who would be calling at this time in the morning.

"Hello." He answered.

"Hardison, they have Nate." Sophie stated in a panic. "It was working fine, and then he lost coms. We were supposed to meet…"

"Sophie, slow down." Hardison stopped the flow of word vomit coming from the grifter. "Who, exactly, has Nate?"

"Moretti." Sophie answered in a calmer voice. "While looking through the files Nate was able to find the location of his safe deposit box. I was able to get the contents out but Nate was stopped in the lobby, everything was good, and then…"

"It all went to hell in a hand basket?" Hardison finished for her. "Damnit, I knew that was going to happen. Want to know how I knew? 'Cause that's what always happens! Only usually, there's a plan B, C, D, M, and Q to fall back on. But now help is over 4,000 miles away and I have to wonder what exactly do you want me to do about this?"

"They'll kill him, Hardison." Sophie pleaded. "If he doesn't give them what they want…"

"Then set up a trade; the contents for Nate." Hardison instructed.

"I'd be walking into a trap. We know too much. Even if they got the contents back they aren't going to leave us alive."

Hardison shook his head. "You promised!"

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry." She just about cried over the line.

"Fine, when you get the call set up the trade for tomorrow evening. Ask for proof of life and remind them that he is to be in good health for the exchange to go down. I'll book the tickets; as soon as you get a location text me the coordinates."

"Thank you!" She offered.

"He's going to kill me. You know that, right?"

XXXXX

"_Dad?" Eliot called into the backyard after having no luck with the doorbell. _

_ "'m back here!" Michael Spencer called from the garage. Eliot walked into the shop and found his dad at his work bench putting together a beautiful oak rocking chair. _

_ "Where's ma?" Eliot asked as soon as he realized what the man was doing._

_ "At your sister's."_

_ "House? They were released already?"_

_ "Yeah, apparently your sister hates hospitals about as much as you do. After some finagling both her and the baby were released last night with a clean bill of health, your ma hasn't left her side since." _

_ "'Course not. What about you? How are you holdin' up, grandpa?"_

_ "Shuudup!" His dad responded. "And get over here and help hold this rail in place. Was hoping to have finished before the baby came, but the hours at the shop have been non-stop." _

_ His father owned his hardware store that was booming with the current economy, unfortunately that meant late hours keeping up with the paperwork. "I told you to get yourself an accountant, or at least get Jimmy to help with the orders. I mean, that's the perk of being the boss, right?" _

_ "Would take twice as long to train Jimmy to do the orders, 'sides, I don't trust Jimmy to do it correctly. You know who I do trust?"_

_ "Daad… not you." Eliot whined, not ready for another plea to settle down, get married, and take over the family business that he listened to every time he talked to his mother. _

_ "Okay, okay." Michael backed off. "How much leave did you get?"_

_ "A week, then back to Cairo to get my next orders." Eliot explained. _

_ "Have you thought about what you're going to do when your term is up?" _

_ "Term? You make it sound like I'm a politician. Yeah, I've thought about it, and hanging around to be uncle to the kid doesn't sound like a horrible idea." He admitted._

_ "I'm sure Aimee would appreciate that." His dad smiled at the idea. "Heard Lis was going to ask the two of you to be Godparents." _

_ "It was mentioned." Eliot responded vaguely._

_ "And?"_

_ "And I reminded her that Jared has a brother that is already married and a job that doesn't put his life in risk on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong, I'm honored, but I'm the last person anyone should trust with the responsibility of looking after a child." _

_ "That's not forever." _

_ "But it is 'right now'." Eliot responded, experiencing enough in his career to know that the 'right now' is what's most prevalent. Eliot held the leg of the chair in place as his dad hammered the runners in place, finishing the construction. "Please tell me you're not painting this."_

_ "With this wood? No. I still need to sand and varnish it, but I'm thinking we should introduce you to your nephew first." _

_ "Do you think I'm going to be able to pry him from ma's arms?" Eliot teased. _

_ "Probably not." His dad joked back as he stood from the work bench. "Hey El, I know we give you a lot of grief, but you know it's just because your ma is scared, right?"_

_ "Yeah, I know." _

_ "And, you've been known to give this ol' man a grey hair or two as well." Michael explained. "But, we are proud of you. You're ma can't stop talkin' to her friends about her very own American hero." _

_ "Thanks." Eliot responded sheepishly embarrassed to admit that he needed to hear that. _

As the memory wrapped up, Eliot was pulled from his unconscious state to hear his ring tone. He reached for his cell as the call went to voicemail. He looked to find he had missed 5 calls in the span of two minutes all from Hardison. Eliot barely had time to react before the ringtone sounded again.

"What's the damned emergency?" Eliot answered his voice more gravelly the normal.

"I told them it was a bad idea; please, don't kill me!" Hardison replied defensively.


	126. Chapter 126

"What are we going to do?" Parker asked Eliot. Following the call from Hardison he had invited both over to discuss the current predicament.

"You have the tickets purchased?" Eliot glared at the hacker.

Hardison nodded, treading lightly with both remaining team members knowing he deserved the stink eyes he was receiving from each. "We should be getting in a few hours before the scheduled trade."

"Good." Eliot affirmed. "Moretti is a pro. Nate is going to be held up at an undisclosed location. He won't give the coordinates until the contents of the safety deposit box our in his possession."

"It could be worse." Parker replied.

"Oh, it is." Eliot responded. "The place is probably going to be rigged to blow up as soon as Sophie gets there. Either that or a sharp shooter will be stationed right outside to take them out. Moreau doesn't do loose ends. If Moretti doesn't have a plot to get rid of them, Moreau will."

"Oookay." Hardison sounded less than satisfied with the response. "So, back to the what do we do question?"

"I'd go with not let them get in that position to begin with." Parker sniped back sarcastically.

"Hey, I…"

"Stop!" Eliot yelled at both knowing there wasn't time to argue. "What do we know about Moretti operation? Nate is going to be kept somewhere close, yet remote. The simplest option would probably be a crate at the ports, but really anywhere he could eliminate a rival and dispose of the body discreetly."

"I can look through the files I decrypted, see what I can find." Hardison volunteered. "Look man, you have to know, they promised if it got to be too much…"

"Not right now." Eliot cut him off before turning away to stifle a cough.

"Maybe you shouldn't go." Hardison suggested. "I mean, there has to be someone you know that owes you a favor, someone that can pull off this kind of retrieval."

"Sure there is." Eliot knew plenty of people that could do it, just none that he trusted enough to do it. "But I ain't exactly planning on broadcasting to those people that I'm not up to doing it myself."

"Why?" Hardison asked naively, earning back a glare in response. "Oh."

"Although, if this is going to work…" Eliot stated before walking out of the room to place a call.

Parker and Hardison looked at each other with a face of bewilderment. "He must be taking lessons on how to lead from Nate." Parker joked.

"Does this mean you're not still mad?" Hardison asked at the first comment to him not laced with contention since finding out about his betrayal.

"Don't push your luck." She commented back.

"I didn't want to!" He defended himself.

"Then why did you?" Parker asked him. "You lied! How many times do we have to go through the whole 'you don't con your own team' speech? First it was Sophie, and then Nate, just recently we were yelling at Eliot, and now… out of all people, you? It goes badly, each and every time, it goes really, _really_ bad!"

"I know." He looked down in shame. "The Italian put down the gauntlet on the time limit. Either Nate finishes it or he goes back to jail and the rest of us…"

"Yeah." She understood.

"Nate thought that he could finish it without involving Eliot." Hardison explained. "I knew it was wishful thinking, but on the off chance that it could be done without risking Eliot's health further, I guess, I thought it was worth the risk."

"What about me? You didn't trust me?" She asked him.

"It's not like that, mama."

"Then what is it like?"

"I didn't want you implicated in the lie." Hardison answered. "When this is all said and done, he may just kill me."

"There's a chance that Moreau may just do that first." She pretended to console causing both the younger two team members to chuckle.

"What are you two laughing about?" Eliot asked entering the room.

"Nothing." Hardison answered.

"Good, cabs here. Grab your bags." Eliot instructed.

"We are all going to make out of this in one piece, right?" Hardison asked the hitter, looking for some kind of confirmation.

Eliot grinned. "Most of us."

"Hey man, wh… what does that mean?" He asked following Eliot down to the car. "Who…?"

XXXXXX

"You feeling alright?" Hardison asked Eliot as they sat back in their first class seats. Eliot had the flush of fever painting his cheeks.

"Been better." He responded after popping a couple Tylenol into his mouth. "I'll survive."

"Will I?" Hardison asked, only half joking.

"I s'pose." The hitter replied. "Would be kinda difficult to replace ya."

Hardison chuckled. "It's nice to know I have some job security."

"I'm not just talkin' about the weird techy stuff."

"Weird techy stuff?" Hardison took offense. "You have no idea what it is I do, do you? It's all just playin' around on a computer isn't it?"

"You're right." Eliot responded. "Of course, if you would have listened, you would have heard the compliment I was about to give you. I have absolutely no idea what it is you do, but I also know that I couldn't do my job half as well as I do without you there to do what you do."

"Really?"

"Ya, really!" Eliot spat back, feeling the pressure building behind his eyes. He shut them briefly and took a deep breath. "Without getting all mushy 'bout it, if something happened to you, it wouldn't just be your computer genius I'd miss."

Hardison smiled. "Thanks, bro."

"Yer welcome. Now do ya think you can look through your files while I catch some sleep, here?" Eliot asked regretting the fact that he didn't switch the seat with Parker when he had the chance.

Parker sat a couple seats ahead next to a middle aged business man snoozing with a mask over his eyes. She had a pair of headphones on as she watched the movie playing on the overhead television.

XXXXX

"How's he doing?" Parker asked about half way through the flight after returning from the bathroom. Hardison looked over, watching the rhythmic rise and fall of the hitter's chest.

"A little restless, but seems to be okay." Hardison answered. He didn't dare test the physical boundaries and encroach in Eliot's personal space. Eliot spent most of the time asleep, rising to take medication as needed. "His chest actually sounds pretty clear."

"For now." Parker murmured to herself. "Did you find anything?"

Hardison had spent his waking time looking through Moretti's personal files looking for acquisition of property, and communicating through email with Sophie assuring the grifter that they were going to get their mastermind back in one piece. "I think Eliot may be right about the shipping yard. Another option is a safe house that he has in the countryside."

"Is that it?" Eliot grumbled from his seat, eyes still closed.

"Besides the coffee shops? Yeah." Hardison replied. "I didn't realize you were awake."

Eliot opened his eyes and shrugged. "Am now, and before you ask, I'm fine."

"I wasn't going to ask." Hardison insisted.

"I was." Parker responded truthfully.

"I doubt he's going to risk the exposure that blowing up one of his businesses would cause." Eliot pondered. There was always the possibility of a "gas leak", but that tended to draw the local law enforcement into the investigation, and the mob attempted to avoid that from occurring especially when an unidentified body could be discovered. "How remote is the safe house?"

"Middle of nothing and nowhere." The hacker answered.

"How far from his office?"

"'Bout an hour and a half. Maybe less if Parker is driving." Hardison replied.

"Can I…?" The thief lit up.

"No." Eliot shot her down. "And the port is about an hour the other direction?"

"About that." Hardison affirmed waiting for a response as Eliot rested his head back into the seat. "E, whatcha thinking?"

"Do we know where the rendezvous is scheduled?" Eliot asked fighting to keep his eyes open.

"No; he won't tell her, said he'll be sending a driver to pick her up. She has to disclose her location for the trade to occur."

"Great." Eliot responded sarcastically, finding too many ways for this to go wrong. "Has she gotten proof of life?"

"She was able to talk to him briefly." Hardison answered and explained how Moretti had used Nate's phone to make the initial contact with Sophie. "He promised further proof of life prior to the documents being handed over."

"Which means that they'll keep Nate alive at least that long." Parker convinced herself, unsure, based on travel distance and the addition of their driver that Moretti had any intention of Sophie meeting up with Nate.

"When she talked to him, did she hear anything in the background to suggest where they may be keeping him?" Eliot asked.

"I don't think to ask." Hardison responded.

"What do you mean you didn't think…?"

"Dude, this is more of a 'you' thing. Okay, I… she… she's not exactly thinking clearly right now. So, discussion has been more about the happily ever after ending we're all hoping for."

"That's beautiful." Eliot wiped an unshed tear. "But we're all going to end up 6 feet under if we don't figure this out."

Eliot saw the worry on both Hardison and Parker's faces. "What can we do?" Parker asked.

"'m sorry. I'm…" Tired, scared, frustrated. He wasn't sure which to fill in the blank with. "I've been in worse situation. We have some time when we get into town to do some recon."

"Are you sure?" Parker asked him.

"Yeah, now go sit down before the people around us wake up and wonder what the hell we're talking about." He instructed.

xxxxx

**Hope that fulfilled at least one of the promises I made last time. **


	127. Chapter 127

"Hey Sparky, do you think we could get one of those cool Italian scooter things?" Parker asked with pleading eyes as they entered the rental office.

Eliot stared back incredulously. "Did you just say cool scooter? No!"

"They are all the rage here." Hardison interjected.

"And they top at what…? 40 miles per hour?" Eliot shook his head. "Hardison, get us a vehicle we can all fit in, that isn't overly conspicuous."

Hardison gave the 'cross by heart' signal as he entered the line. He took out his phone to speed up the process by making the reservation online. "So the Maserati is out then? Sweet ride!" The hacker commented, showing Eliot the picture.

"It's a two seater." Parker pointed out, looking over the hitter's shoulder.

"She is a beaut." Eliot added, remorsefully having to decline. "Just pick… that one."

Hardison pouted as Eliot picked out the simplest car on the lot.

"It's not like we're going joy riding." Eliot consoled the man.

"We're not." Hardison responded, indicating the portion of the newly devised recon plan that had him being dropped off with Sophie while Eliot and Parker went scoping out the Italian country side.

"Trust me." Eliot whispered. "That's not going to be a joy ride; not with little Ms. swerves a lot behind the wheel."

It took about the length of the flight for Eliot to admit to himself that he didn't quite feel up to driving which, unfortunately, meant if Hardison was going to work with Sophie to back up the information that had a chance of ending their current predicament he was going to have to give up the driver's seat to Parker.

"I already told you that I'll be careful, but I can't help it if the roads are all winding." She made a snake-like 's' pattern with her palm.

"Just go easy on concussion boy." Hardison patted Eliot's shoulder, earning himself an 'I'll kill you' glare.

"You're up." Eliot pointed out the opening at the counter.

"Eliot, you're okay, right?" Parker asked as soon as Hardison moved forward.

"As okay as I'm going to be." He responded warily. "Please tell me this is not about suggesting you drive?"

"Well…"

Eliot raked a hand through his hair. He couldn't win. They don't want him acting like he's invincible, but the second he gives a hint of vulnerability they're looking at him as if he's about to break. "Truthfully, I am perfectly capable of driving out there and back without issue, but why? I'm tired and sore, and would like nothing more to take a breather before, yet again, putting myself in mortal danger. And… as insane as you can be behind the wheel, I trust you to get us there in one piece."

"You trust me?"

"Yeah." He affirmed. "But seriously, though, easy on the turns. As you approach the intersection let off the gas just enough for the car to slow down, and then gently press down to accelerate for the turn. Unless there's a sign you don't have to come to a complete stop, but my melon does not need to be scrambled more than it already is."

Parker waited for him to smirk before chuckling with him. "Gently press?"

"Almost like a caress. Easy does it." He demonstrated using her hand as the gas pedal and his as the foot. They switched roles and Eliot wondered if this was the first time the thief had really been 'taught' how to do this. Sure, she was put behind the wheel and told what to do to make it function, but he somehow doubted that she was ever really taught to drive a car.

Hardison finished at the counter and turned to find what was left of his crew standing by the exit with their hands embraced. He took a moment to ponder the possibilities before shaking off the feeling of envy before making his way over. He led the others to the car before navigating to the library where he was to meet up with Sophie.

"Right here in three and a half hours." Eliot directed as he handed him the lap top case lying on the back seat.

"Not a minute after." Hardison confirmed.

Eliot scrambled into the front seat after Hardison exited, a little annoyed that he was somehow relocated to the back in the first place. "Do you know where we are going?" He asked the thief.

"Yeah. Hardison programmed it into my phone." Parker showed him the map. "I figure we can get to about here… before we should get out and walk the rest of the way."

Eliot peaked over. "Looks good." He assured before leaning back in his seat.

XXXXX

Hardison walked through the massive library hoping he didn't stand out as badly as he thought he did. He followed the directions given to him by Sophie to meet her on the third floor, near the back, by the periodicals. He saw her comfortably seated on an arm chair seemingly engaged in a novel. Hardison made his way to the shelf behind her, setting his case on the floor next to what appeared to be her shopping bag as he grabbed a book. As he reached down to grab the case, he knocked over the bag spilled contents onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry." Hardison responded to the 'accident'. Sophie feigned distress as she got up from her chair to retrieve her belongings and handed Hardison a folder in the process. He whispered, "Are you being tailed?"

"I don't know." She whispered honestly, keeping up pretenses on the chance that she had been. "You guys figure out where they are keeping Nate, yet?"

"I think so. Eliot and Parker are scoping it out now."

Sophie gave a sigh of relief. As much as she hated having to call the team in on this one, she felt much better knowing that she wasn't in it on her own. "Thank…"

"Not yet." Harrison stopped her gratitude. "Once I get this scanned in make the call to have them pick you up here at 1800."

She nodded her understanding as he placed the last shoe box in her bag. "Thank you." Sophie stated out loud.

XXXXX

"Parker, you can put some music on." Eliot stated after seeing her glance at him for the 50th time in his peripheral.

"What would you like to listen to?" She asked him.

"Doesn't matter; driver picks the music." He explained.

"Except you know what kind of music you like listening to." Parker replied back.

"You don't?"

"I know I like listening to you." She replied thinking back to the job a few months ago when he revealed to crew just how well he could sing as he played 'the fiddle' in their con. "But no, it's not like I have a favorite song or musician or anything."

"You at least have to have a favorite genre?"

She shook her head no. "I don't really know what the genres are. They all kind of sound the same."

Eliot sputtered, dumbfounded, "wh.. wh.. what? No… no, Parker. Are you serious?"

"Okay, well, not exactly the same. I mean, some are more musically then others, and sometimes there's more talking, or screaming, and then other times there's whining. I know I don't like that."

"Which…?"

"I don't know. Sometimes the stuff playing is okay, and other times it's just weird?"

"Can't argue with that." He muttered. "Where do I start? Um… do you like songs or do you like instrumentals?"

She thought about both Eliot's song and Hardison's violin solo. "Both. I guess it depends on my mood."

"That's common." Eliot explained catching a glint of a smile from the thief at the mere mention of anything she did as 'normal'. "Which do you tend to gravitate to more?"

She shrugged. "What does it matter?"

"It matters!"

"Why?!"

"Because!" Eliot replied tritely, before he realized how immature he sounded. He chuckled briefly when he realized that he must sound a bit like Hardison when he attempted to describe the significance of his video games. "Music means something different to everybody, but the common thread tends to be that it means something to everyone. Whether it's personal expression, emotional catharsis, or just having something to dance to; it's about letting yourself feel something, if only for those three and a half minutes your favorite song is playing."

"I do feel." She replied quietly, afraid of being thought of as some kind of emotionless robot.

"I know you do, Parker. I'm not saying that you don't. It's just… nevermind."

"No." She glanced over at him. "I hear what you're saying, and when you were singing that song I did feel something. When Hardison was playing, it touched me. I just don't know how to go into a record store and pick out a CD that I'm going to enjoy for any of the reasons you mentioned."

"Do you want to?" Eliot asked her seriously.

She nodded. "Can you help?"

"Yeah, but first we have to figure out the type of music you enjoy." He explained and turned on the radio. It didn't take very long before they both realized they weren't huge fans of Italian pop; however, after flipping through the channels several times and finding advertisements and one station that sounded like a screeching cat, Parker settled on the pop music as Eliot drifted off in the seat beside her.

Parker found a clearing before where they were supposed to turn off onto the gravel road to park the car before gently nudging the hitter awake.

"We there?" He grumbled before coughing into his elbow.

"We're as far as we're going to get by car." She replied and handed Eliot his inhaler. "We don't need you to give up our position with that cough."

Eliot smiled and teased. "Your concern is touching, really." He took a puff before pocketing the device and pushing himself out of the vehicle. Eliot let the thief navigate through the woods as he kept an eye and ear on look-out for anyone approaching.

The safe house was a small lakeside cottage; looked to be maybe 2 bedrooms from the outside. The two got close enough to get a look at the two men standing guard at the front entrance. Both looked to be armed with handguns which would be hard to deal with coming in at the distance they were. Instead, Eliot signaled for Parker to check for a back door from the West side of the building. She made quick work of circling the cottage before stepping out into the clearing and peeking through the window. Silently she retreated back into the woods and met back up Eliot.

"There was one guy out back on a cigarette break, and one guarding Nate from the inside."

"He is in there?" Eliot confirmed.

She nodded. "How do we do this? You go front, and I take the unsuspecting guy in back? Then it'll be two against one inside."

"This is just scouting, Parker."

"But he's right inside. We can do this, and then Sophie doesn't even have to meet with Moretti."

"No." He answered simply.

"Why?"

"Sun should be setting in the next couple hours. It'll be easier for me to get the drop on them in the dark…"

"But…"

"And, there's no way for us to get the drop on all these guys before one of them has the opportunity to give Moretti the heads up that there's a problem. Moretti will get the hell out of dodge and we'll have Moreau hunting down the rest of us for those documents."

"What did Nate and Sophie get from him?" Parker questioned.

"The financials from Café Exotica; the 'off the books' variety; everything going in and everything going out. We have Moreau's accounts."

"Is it enough?" Parker asked.

"Not yet." Eliot answered.

"What do you mean not yet?"

"Come on, I'll explain in the car."


	128. Chapter 128

Hardison finished scanning the records into his computer and signaled for Sophie to retrieve them from him. The text came through shortly after that Nate was at the safe house. The hacker gave an audible sigh of relief knowing that with Nate's location ascertained Eliot could actually assist in the next phase of the plan. The part that was tying his stomach in knots just thinking about accomplishing on his own.

Sophie passed by the table that Hardison had taken over as his work space. As she did, he dropped the folder into shopping bag. She casually strolled into the lady's room to make the call to Moretti. Once the appointment was set and terms of the trade agreed upon she visited the library's café hoping that a chamomile tea would help to sooth her wracked nerves. The knowledge that they knew where Nate was being held helped her confidence as she repeated to herself that this was merely another part she was playing. Unfortunately the "part" of the fearful hostage motivated to get herself and her… partner… out of an overwhelming situation was a little too close to home to not get affected by the emotions of it. The knowledge that she had to keep it together did not stop her from inadvertently checking the time every couple minutes until it was finally time for her to go downstairs.

XXXXX

Hardison rounded the corner, smiling as he saw the limo door open to let him in. He peaked into the driver's side as Parker moved over into the shot gun position. In the back was a bound and gagged driver next to a very intimidating looking hitter.

"He says the address is inputted into the GPS." Eliot explained as Hardison slid into the front seat. Parker handed him the hat and jacket the driver was wearing before the pair hijacked the vehicle.

"Thanks." Hardison chuckled and scrolled through the GPS to get the address of the destination. "It's the shipping yard."

"Figures." Eliot rolled his eyes.

"Alright, let's go steal a grifter!" Parker stated rousingly with a big smile, both of the guys rolled their eyes.

Hardison pulled the vehicle out of park and rounded the corner pulling out in front of the library. He got out and opened the back door for Sophie.

"Hi guys." She greeted the team as she entered. Eliot pushed himself into the center and removed the gag from the driver's mouth while Hardison pulled ahead.

"I'm going to go through this one time." Eliot warned the driver. "When I make this call, you tell Moretti that you have the target and you're on your way and you'll make it out of this just fine. Minor headache, but nothing an aspirin won't cure. If you give any indication that there is a hint of a problem your family will never hear from you again. Do you understand?"

The ungagged driver merely nodded.

"Okay. This one?" Eliot scrolled through the driver's contact list. Again he nodded before the hitter pressed talk and held the device up to the man's ear. The man confirmed the acquisition as promised and after the call ended Eliot hit him in the temple; knocking him out. Hardison drove down the street where the rental was parked, dropping Eliot and Parker off at the car.

"Thanks for that, man." Hardison offered before they left; eternally grateful that he didn't have to do that himself. Parker handed Sophie a taser 'in case' he came to. She was about to shrug it off when the thief revealed her spare.

"Don't worry about it. Just, take care of her." Eliot nodded towards Sophie.

"You do the same."

"With my dying breath." Eliot assured.

"It better not be." Hardison warned.

Eliot couldn't make any promises, but that certainly wasn't part of the plan. "Let's just finish this." He responded instead. "Comeon, Parker."

XXXXX

Eliot rounded the car to the passenger side, indicating to the thief to drive.

"Who are you calling?" Parker asked eying the hitting sending a text through his phone.

"A friend." He replied.

"Tell me you're not lining up a date?" She inquired.

Eliot snickered. "Not quite."

"Is it…?"

"Yeah." He confirmed her suspicions.

She had to admit that given the lack of preparation time with sporadic information the hitter had done a good job of planning this rescue. "Hey Eliot, have you ever thought about taking over? I mean, if Nate ever decides that he's done with it."

"No, I wouldn't."

"Why? You're good at this. This isn't the first time you've taken over. When we were in Kiev, Nate and Maggie would have been killed if you hadn't found a way out of that."

"Yea, I'm good at negotiation, interrogation, and rescue. That's my thing." Eliot explained. "I don't see things in the big picture way that Nate does, and I can't focus on the team's safety if I'm concentrating on directing the con."

"I was just thinking that maybe you won't always have to be the one that gets punched and kicked."

"It's not so bad." Eliot pushed away the thief's concern. He knew what his place in this team was, and he was more than willing to take on that role. He just needed to have a conversation with Nate on having more of a say in the planning process to reduce the risks as much as possible.

"Not so bad? Really?"

Eliot laughed as he thought about the past month. "Okay, well, not always. I actually do less combat now than I did before joining the team."

"Really?"

"Yea, all this grifting and sneaking… half the time I'm looking for a bad guy to punch." He smiled. "Parker, I appreciate the concern. Really, I do, but I actually have a pretty good gig going here. I like what I do, I'm damn good at it, and I wouldn't trust anyone else to look after the rest of ya'all."

"I guess when you put it that way…" She let the sentence trail off as she continued her drive back to the safe house.

XXXXX

"Did Moretti let you speak to him?" Hardison asked Sophie.

"No; he assured me that I could talk to him as soon as I safely showed with the file."

"And then what?" Hardison asked wondering how Moretti saw this whole thing going down.

"Well, then he will order his men to release Nate in a location that I will receive as soon as I hand over the file. Sounds reasonable, right?"

Hardison chuckled. Reasonable indeed, if he had any intention of letting either one of them leave this country still breathing.

"Are you still mad at me?" Sophie questioned.

Hardison shook his head no. "I was never mad, per se. I just knew that when, and I do mean _when_, this thing went to hell and hand basket and Eliot and Parker had to find out about it they would be pissed. But… I do get why you did it this way, and as long as this thing works out in the end, I hold no grudge."

"Eliot looks better." She noted.

"He's getting there." Hardison acknowledged. "He's actually been really good about following doctor's orders and letting me and Parker help these past couple days."

"That's good." She just hoped this wouldn't result in another case of one step forward and three steps back in his condition.

"Yeah, if I didn't know better I might go as far as saying he enjoys the company." Hardison smiled.

"We know that couldn't be it." Sophie replied back sarcastically. "I think we're all realizing just how lonely we used to live."

"You gonna do something about that?" Hardison asked suggestively. "I mean, when you and Nate get back."

"You mean 'if' Nate and I get back?"

"No, again, I mean 'when'."

"I haven't thought that far out." She admitted. "Hell, I don't tend to think much about the long game unless it's for a con. That's more Nate's area of expertise."

"No kidding. I wonder what is running through his melon at the moment."

"Knowing him, he knows exactly what each of did and are going to do to get him back. Thus, he is sitting back and letting it all play out."

Hardison snickered and teased. "Lazy bastard!"

It wasn't long before saw the shipping yard in the distance. The light atmosphere that inhabited the car just seconds prior vanished as the limo steadily approached its destination. Like clockwork, the text came in from Eliot that they were in position.


	129. Chapter 129

Hardison pulled into the lot adjacent to the dock where Moretti stood with two guards by his side. Sophie took a deep breath before opening her door and stepping out of the limo with the file in her hand.

"For the sake of his compensation please tell me that Edoardo at least offered to do that for you?" Moretti called out to her.

"I'm a big girl; learned how to work a door handle a long time ago." Sophie replied back.

"No doubt, Ms. Devereaux." He stated causing the grifter to flinch. "Oh what? You didn't think I would take the time to do my homework? Honestly, Mr. Ford wasn't the least bit helpful, but all it really takes to get the information you need is the services of a genius hacker, isn't that right?"

"It certainly doesn't hurt." Sophie replied back. "Was never my forte."

"Of course not, but my friend, Tino, here, would like nothing more than to meet the man whose skill rivals his own."

"I'm sorry?" Sophie acted confused.

"Please don't insult my intelligence. We both know the only reason you would allow your partner to remain captive for any longer than he had to be was to give you the opportunity to bring in back up. Don't think that I don't know that Alec Hardison is in that vehicle with a digital copy of those records. So, if you want to see Mr. Ford again, I suggest that you invite Mr. Hardison to the party."

The mob boss smirked in victory as she knocked on the driver's door of the vehicle. Hardison took a moment of convincing before getting out of the car and facing the rival. He dropped a flash drive to the ground a smashed it with his foot.

"Now make the call!" Hardison shouted out.

"Take 10 steps forward with arms in the air, both of you." Moretti instructed.

Sophie and Hardison both complied as the guard identified as Tino stepped around them before opening the door to the limo to search inside. He disregarded the tied up driver, instead going directly for Hardison's computer case. The case was handed to Moretti who immediate dumped to contents off the dock into the Mediterranean Sea.

"Satified?" Sophie asked, still grasping the original copies.

Moretti pulled out his phone and gave some orders in Italian before holding the device out for the grifter. She passed the files to Hardison before taking the stepping forward.

'Hello, Nate?' Sophie greeted.

Hardison watched the sigh of relief as it appeared the mastermind answered on the other end. He wasn't sure what was being said, but there was still question in his mind to the safety of his teammates with their identities compromised. He tried telling himself that just because Moretti knew he was there it did not mean he was aware of Eliot and Parker's presents, but he wasn't hopeful.

After a brief exchange Moretti grabbed the phone from Sophie. "Now it's your turn." He ordered.

Sophie took the file from Hardison and placed in on the ground in front of her. "Where do I find him?" She inquired.

"You and I both know that you know exactly where he is. Problem is, you're not getting to him." He stated before pulling out his gun.

XXXXXX

Parker and Eliot approached the cottage discreetly. The guards appeared to be rotated through the same posts with a blind spot on the West side of the cottage through the opened window of the room they kept Nate bound. Peering through the window, Parker was able to see the two guards engaged in conversation with each other in the hallway. Nate sat tied to a chair in the middle of the room. He didn't appear to be in poor condition, but it was hard to tell from her view of the back of his head.

She debated whether or not she could get through the window and roll under the bed unnoticed, considering it was the only way to peaceably get into the small cottage. However, it was imperative that they got the timing correct. Instead she waited. They knew that Sophie and Hardison had arrived on schedule, so if everything went according to plan it was only a matter of seconds before the call came in.

Eliot watched from the Northwest, keeping particular notice of the two guards out front. Both of which held a hand close to their right holster and responded with binoculars in their left to any snap of sticks and brushing of leaves coming from the woods. The fact that they were on such high alert concerned Eliot, as much as knew that they wouldn't retain the element of surprise for very long he had hoped to at least use it to gain the upper hand in basically a two on five situation.

Parker heard the phone ring from what appeared to be the land line. She waved for Eliot to move in before peaking in to see the phone held out in front of the mastermind as his gag was released by the guard that stood almost directly in front of the thief. She waited until she heard the click of the receiver before jumping up and grasping onto the window sill and kicking her feet through the screen and into the guard. The guard toppled over Nate who crashed onto the floor and Parker managed to attack the guard on the far side of the room with her taser before he was able to reach for his handgun.

As soon as Parker jolted into action Eliot charged towards the first guard with a blow to his sternum. The guard folded over as he struggled for breath, and the second guard stood just out of arms reach away with his gun drawn. The hitter ducked down as the shot went off and swept his leg around tripping the gunman which he held firmly in his hand from the prone position. Eliot stomped down on the wrist loosening the grasp and reached down to unload the barrel before throwing the weapon into the woods. He made short work of knocking the guards before entering the cabin.

The sound of the window being knocked in jolted the guard at the back entrance into action. He quickly drew his weapon before entering the cottage through the kitchen and family area. Propelled by the commotion he darted down the narrow hallway straight ahead him, and turned into the right bedroom shooting wildly into the room. Moments later he was greeted with an elbow to the side of his head coming from the direction of the front door. He was barely able to process the attack before being slammed face first into the door frame causing his vision to black out. Eliot stepped into the room to see two guards lying unconscious on the floor and Parker untying Nate from the now broken chair.

"Are you guys okay?" Eliot questioned having made it into the cottage only moments after the firearm was discharged.

"Yeah, perfect." Nate answered from his spot on the floor. "You?"

The hitter moved in closer to inspect and take out his utility knife to speed up the process. As he squatted down he noticed a tear in the fabric of Parker's sleeve and blood seeping out of it. "You're hit." He informed her unsure if she was remotely aware of this fact.

"It's just a graze." She shrugged and took the knife out of his hand as he got up to find a makeshift bandage. The bullet had just barely scraped the skin as the shot was discharged into the room. She was more started than injured by the impact. Eliot quickly located a clean towel which he ripped a strip from to tie around her forearm after she finished cutting Nate free. Nate got up to scope out the exit, ensuring the clear path out.

"Is that too tight?" Eliot asked, tending to the wound.

Parker shook her head no.

"I'm sorry." He whispered.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." She whispered back.

"We should get going." Nate called out. As much as he appreciated the rescue, if Eliot and Parker were with him, it meant that Sophie and Hardison were left to fend off Moretti by themselves.

"Hey Sparky, are you okay?" Parker asked, awaiting an answer before she was willing to proceed.

Eliot pointed to the guards. "Trigger happy amateurs. I wasn't touched. Now let's get going." He reached a hand out to assist Parker up. There was a slight wrench in his shoulder when she grabbed on that alerting to the fact it was going to be stiff the next day, but otherwise he felt relatively unscathed.

Parker lead Nate out of the cottage towards the car as Eliot held back long enough to check for any messages from his phone.

XXXXX

Hardison and Sophie ran towards the far side of limo, ducking away from the shot fired from Moretti's Beretta while Tino lunged for the file. The bullet passed between the two when a shot was heard coming from the shipping yard dropping Moretti instantly.

Sophie stood in horror as Hardison dragged her by her arm, ushering her into the car.

"What was that?" Sophie asked from the backseat.

"Plan D." Hardison responded as he put the limo into gear and sped away from the peril.


	130. Chapter 130

"Where are we going?" Sophie asked as Hardison drove like a madman out of the docks district.

"Home." He responded bluntly. "No wrap up, no gloat, just back to Boston where we belong; where I ain't being shot at."

"Hardison, there's a dead body of an International business mongrel that's going to drum up an investigation. Especially since you had me pull Interpol into this."

"That was the point." Hardison explained.

"_What's the damned emergency?" Eliot answered his voice more gravelly the normal. _

_ "I told them it was a bad idea; please, don't kill me!" Hardison replied defensively. _

_ "Damnit Hardison!" The hitter grated out. It didn't take much mental prowess to figure out that Sophie and Nate had gotten themselves into trouble. "Where are they?" _

_ "Italy…. Rome. They went after Moretti at his corporate headquarters. The con had gone off without a hitch right up to the point where they broke into his secret vault and Nate got nabbed in the retreat." _

_ "That's quite the hitch." Eliot commented. "Where's Sophie now?"_

_ "She's at the hotel room freaking out." Hardison answered and explained the whole situation and preliminary plan to make a trade for the file._

_ "You do realize Moretti isn't going to let either of them walk away from this." Eliot reiterated Sophie's point._

_ "Which means we have approximately 36 hours to get there and rescue both of them." Hardison replied. _

_ "How do you suggest we do that?" Eliot snapped back, still livid that this was going on behind his back. _

_ "I don't know." Hardison went on the defensive. "I was hopeful you might have an idea. E, please? I'm sorry! I practically begged them not to do this, but the Italian put the gauntlet down on the time limit and Nate…"_

_ "…didn't want to further risk my health." Eliot finished the sentence. There was an uncomfortable silence as the hacker waited for him to continue. "This is precisely why I keep my well-being to myself. Dammit!"_

_ "E…?"_

_ "Alright, if Moretti would be willing to make a trade then Sophie has to have something of value. Do we know what she has?"_

_ Hardison smiled at the small victory. "They were able to snag the accounting records for the conglomerate; the complete records." He explained hoping Eliot would catch his drift. _

_ "Once you had those in your possession, how long would it take you to trace the accounts back to Moreau?" Eliot questioned as a plan started to develop._

_ "It depends how cryptic Moretti keeps his notes, but an hour at most." The hacker responded confidently. Nate had him doing enough research on Moreau to know exactly what he was looking for. _

_ "You said she made a clone of his personal cell?" _

_ "Yeah." Hardison confirmed. _

_ "Have Sophie make a call to Interpol assuming the identity of Moretti's personal assistant. Tell them that Moretti had a falling out with his financer and if he can be guaranteed immunity to criminal investigation he would be willing to supply Interpol with the documents necessary to implicate Moreau. Then schedule a meeting with Moretti at the shipping yard on Thursday."_

_ "What shipping yard…?"_

_ "That's for you to figure out." Eliot replied back, but in his experience there was always a shipping yard. "After you book three tickets into Rome. Until then I'm goin' back to sleep. Oh, and for the record, you get to tell Parker about this."_

_ "E, what does end game look like, here? And will I be alive to see it?"_

_ "If everything goes right Moreau will be convicted of murder in the Italian's back yard," the hitter answered the end game question. "…and only if I have to resort to plan M."_

_ "And exactly which plan are we starting with?"_

_ "Dayan." _

"Plan D." Sophie followed the explanation. "So in a few hours when Agent Petrelli shows up to obtain the records he will instead find Moretti's corpse?"

Hardison nodded and continued. "With the records in his jacket pocket. Interpol will launch an immediate investigation of all of Moreau's accounts and discover a sizeable payment to an agency specializing in contract killings."

Sophie chuckled, "and exactly when did that transfer take place?"

"Oh… about an hour ago." Hardison smiled. After the scan was complete he had used the time in the library to locate Moreau's account before making the wire transfer.

"So this went all according to plan?" She sounded impressed. Moretti was quite literally out of the picture, his business destroyed, and Moreau would soon be under investigation for murder.

"Besides the part where my computer went for a swim in the Mediterranean? Yeah. By the way, you and Nate are buying me a new one. That thing was not cheap!" He insisted; comforted only by the fact that he had an external hard drive with all his backed up data.

"I think we can handle that." Sophie assured him. "Thank you!"

"Don't mention it." The hacker shrugged.

XXXXX

Eliot attempted to keep pace with the other two but his lungs weren't quite up to the task of power walking back to the car. After noticing the hitter dragging behind Nate slowed down his own.

"Any word yet?" Nate posed.

Eliot shook his head. "Do you honestly think I would let them fend for themselves?"

Nate pondered the thought. "Who did you call for back-up?"

"Raquel. She was already in Croatia when I called and had the place scoped before I confirmed the location. She'll take care of the clean-up, and as much as I know you disapprove of homicide, there's no one to gloat to." Eliot explained.

"Which means…?"

"As soon as Hardison tells me where he plans on dropping the limo, we go pick them up and head to the airport, and then maybe I can make it to the appointment that I had to reschedule." He sounded accusatory.

"Eliot, I never intended for you to get roped into this." Nate attempted to placate him.

"I know you didn't, but my God, what were you thinking? What exactly was your plan to get out of there?"

Nate shrugged. "As far as hostage situations go, this wasn't bad. I mean, not exactly the VIP treatment, but he didn't resort to torture for information either."

"Only because Sophie was willing to organize a trade. He would have had you beaten to bloody pulp for information if he thought it would help him get those records back." Eliot warned.

"I know."

"So..? What? Was that the plan? Let yourself become the sacrificial lamb in hopes that Sophie would take the records and run?"

"Wouldn't you do the same?" Nate turned it back on him. "I would have been perfectly fine if she had, but I knew she wouldn't."

Eliot got the meaning. Nate had never intended to get Eliot involved, but he was well aware of the fact that the team would get called as soon as he was caught. "He knew we were here."

"He did." Nate confirmed what the younger man knew to be true. Moretti had allowed the team to arrive in hopes of taking them all out during the rescue. Eliot stopped suddenly causing a glance of concern. "You okay?"

Eliot felt the vibration is his pocket, and paused momentarily to dig it out while nodding to Nate's inquiry. "Hey… yea', right here." He handed the phone over allowing Nate to talk to Sophie. Eliot could see Parker approaching the car in the distance and ached for the opportunity to take a nap in the back seat.

It wasn't that much longer before his wish was granted. Nate claimed the position of driver while Parker happily sat shot-gun with the knowledge that the team was safe and only an hour away from reunifying. Nate turned the radio on for the drive and she kept a watchful eye on the hitter as he wadded up his sweatshirt as a pillow and slept.

XXXXX

XXXXX

The flight back to Boston went by uneventfully. Eliot returned home sore, but not any worse for wear than when he left. He was hopeful that he could make it through his appointment without another round of multiple stabbings. He had just dropped some parsley into the rabbit's cage and was about to start the oven when his phone rang. He was tempted to let it go but picked up before the call went to voicemail.

"Eliot, it's Nate. There's an emergency briefing at the loft in fifteen."

"Seriously?" Eliot questioned. "No, it's done! You said it yourself, we are officially on vacation!"

"Unfortunately, I was a little premature with that. Moreau caught wind of the charges and slipped away before an arrest could be made."

"Escaped where?" Eliot inquired.

"San Lorenzo."

'Shit!' Eliot thought to himself, aware of the 'no extradition' policy.

The End…. ish

XXXXX

**We all know what happened in the 'San Lorenzo Job' so I am not going to write that. I will however write an epilogue that tie up some loose ends following their return back home, and allowing for the team to take a longer break between San Lorenzo and The Long Way Home Job. **

**I know this has taken a long time to write, and appreciate those that have stuck along during the process and looked over all my spelling/grammatical mistakes as I've been eager to push the chapters out as soon as they are written. **

**Happy holidays to everyone! Heart you all!**

**~ Becki**


End file.
